Pleasure of Business
by TheWillOfMythal
Summary: Dared by her best friend to visit what turns out being a famous, high-class sex club, Piper Chapman, a young, stressed out businesswoman, finds out that Alex Vause, the intriguing, charming owner of the club, and the kind of entertainment that she offers, might be exactly what she needs in order to loosen up. Vauseman AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone!

It's been a while, uh? I know, but I'm back with nothing less than an AU for you :D

So, here's the thing, while I was writing and sorting through all the requests you guys sent me for my Vauseman series of one-shots, I came across a few that asked something along the summary lines. Things like "Alex working at a BDSM club and Piper being a curious little thing etc..."

You guys have no idea, but I've actually been sitting on this story and this very first chapter - which is been almost completely ready for a while - for almost a year now. Yep. That's right.

The reason why I didn't post it sooner? I was feeling very self-conscious actually about the whole thing because I wanted to go with both POV's and offer an equal perspective, but I wasn't feeling like switching between first persons on every chapter, and so I decided to dive in and try with the third person's POV.

As you can imagine I'm still not used to it, but apparently, I'm feeling a bit more confident about it since I have finally decided to post the first chapter, lol :D

The rating is low, for now, but... Yeah, considering the genre, and all... Well... You know me :P

Before I leave you to it, however, I wanted to thank all of the lovely readers and reviewers who have sent their thoughts and left their flattering comments on the last chapter of "Specks of Dust". You are all amazing, and I thank you sincerely for all your kind words :)

Now here you go with the new story :D

Enjoy

* * *

Alex has noticed her as soon as she has seen her walk in.

It would have been pretty hard not to.

Even in the crowd that usually gathers during particularly busy nights such as this one.

Tall, blonde, young - but clearly old enough to pass by security at the front - and, of course, beautiful.

A simple kind of beauty, but that strikes all the same. Even though, there is that _something else_ that makes her stand out among the crowd of familiar faces.

Her physical appearance, in fact, it's not the only reason why Alex's gaze has landed, almost magnetically, on her and has been returning every now and then in between her duties.

There is just _that_ _look_ about her.

That nonchalance that she wears a bit too tightly, and carries a bit too heavily respect anyone else's in the club- to appear like she has already been in this kind of place before, even though it's quite obvious that she hasn't. Alex would have definitely remembered seeing her before, _especially_ in here.

She puts way too much effort in trying to look around with discretion, in not letting her gaze linger for long. But the curiosity gleaming in her eyes as she scans the place is unmistakable, even from afar, it betrays her, just like the light flush of heat that scalds her cheeks when her gaze shifts towards the dancers bending and swaying and arching against the poles on the stage at the low, sensual rhythm of the music before she diverts it.

A gaze that resembles more one of intrigue than the shyness it so deceptively seems inclined to, although - Alex can easily and confidently tell - that the young woman doesn't seem a stranger to that other feeling either.

"You intend to keep staring at her for the rest of the night or you gonna make a move, Vause?"

Alex, on her part, can't even pretend to shoot a look at her partner when she gets caught.

Even if she tried to muster a warning glare it would inevitably falter, turning into that expected and exasperated eye roll when Nicky would just throw a knowing smirk back at her. But she tries anyway. And, unsurprisingly, that irritating, unapologetic little smirk is exactly what she receives back from her friend.

"She's hot." Nicky comments then with a shrug of her shoulder before returning to the list in her hand, as if what she just said was only meant as a casual comment and not the actual encouragement Alex knows it actually is.

"Is this what you do when I'm not here, Nichols? Comment on our clientele instead of working?" Alex wonders why does she even bother asking such question when she already suspects the answer to that and also has a few other ideas of her own about what else her friend might do when she is not at the club. "I guess I should be here every day to supervise you."

"Hey now!" Nicky protests with indignation. " I _am_ working." She stresses, waving the inventory list in defense. "I don't need you as a babysitter. And for your information," She adds, lowering her voice into that conspiratorial tone that has Alex shift her mouth to one side in order to suppress the smile already threatening to break free. "Our female clientele _loves_ my attention."

There are many things that Alex could say in response to that and actually feels the need to remind her best friend, who also happens to be her business partner. Things like _"that's not your job"_ or _"try to not harass anyone, or worst, pick on possible clients for your own entertainment."_ Instead she just huffs an exasperated laugh, shaking her head before- just as that last thought in particular enters her mind - her gaze drifts on its own once again towards the bar, where the young, blonde woman has taken off her coat, taken a seat, and is unsuccessfully trying to get the attention of the busy bartender.

"So? What you gonna do? Because she kinda looks like she could use a drink." Once again, Nicky, as annoyingly observant as always, comments. "And it doesn't seem like Jackie Daniels over there is going to be able to shake off that horde of women all by herself and get back to serve drinks."

 _Oh for the-_

"You know what?" Alex stands, because she has had enough of this. "I'm going over to the bar, _to help_ , so at least _I_ can say that I'm working instead of just pretending to, like _someone else_ has been doing all night." She adds, eyeing the list her friend has been pretending to check for the past ten minutes.

Nicky merely gives her that fake-serious _"yeah, sure._ help. Whatever _you say, partner"_ look that does nothing to mask the delight sparkling in her dark eyes and that Alex tries to ignore as much as she can.

"While I'm gone could you please at least tell Boo to wait before sending anyone else in. We are packed." She points out after a brief scan of the two main rooms filled with people. "I don't want to violate any safety protocol. Also finish to check that list and compare it with the rest in the back, please. I believe there is still some equipment in the boxes back there that we need to replace."

"Yeah sure, the _equipment._ " Nicky nods, winking exaggeratedly, seeming to have caught mostly that part alone above anything else she just said. "You want me to get you that new, prototype model from the back you could try out with blondie over ther-"

This time the glare that Alex flashes her is real, warning, and successful in actively shutting up her partner.

"Don't. Even finish that sentence."

For a moment Alex actually expects her friend to come up with the default reply of something like _"I thought our business was built mostly around this kind of things, Vause"_ But it seems like Nicky has grown suddenly wise enough not to test her, just zips her lips and then salutes.

"Aye aye, Captain!" She mocks, not even trying to contain the infuriating shit-eating grin that starts spreading on her face before she turns and leaves, thankfully heading for the back as instructed and already reaching for the radio on her belt to pass the message to security at the entrance outside the club, although, even if she, for once, is doing as told, Alex still winces when she hears the unnecessary code they have come up with for this kind of situation.

 _"Heavy flow, Boo. Keep doing the Tampax."_

For being business partners and co-owners someone would think that they should be at the same level, but someone simply _has_ to keep Nicky in check and reprimand her when she comes up with some of her inappropriate jokes and start with her usual, mostly innocent, nonetheless occasionally mildly irritating teasing.

With one last look at the opened log of the clients that have an appointment and a room booked for later tonight, and after checking for herself that everything has been taken care of and nothing is missing from said rooms, Alex leaves her usual spot at the reception and heads for the bar with the refilling of vodka and tequila bottles that usually start running low at this hour.

Turns out that the bar isn't as packed as it seemed actually, but the bartender - a young, cute, very talented girl whose smile, gorgeous tanned skin, and soft, dark, deceptively innocent eyes combined with the suit and suspenders attire that attract an unbelievable amount of attention, way more than she can handle alone - has been (again) taken hostage by an enthusiastic, slightly tipsy group of women.

The fact that she notices Alex's approach, however, seems to be enough to give her that extra push to disentangle herself from the flirting group with the good old-fashioned, _"gotta get back to work 'cause the boss is here, sorry ladies"_ excuse, and with another charming smile returns to serve drinks with a soft flush on her cheeks, flashing Alex an apologetic little smile and mouthing a grateful "thanks" that is promptly met with a friendly, reassuring wink as she dutifully takes the bottles and restock the shelves.

With an extra help, the line of those waiting for a drink quickly diminishes as the patrons move from the bar to the dance floor on the adjacent room, or simply just to the angular couches to chat and admire the dancers on the stage, but despite getting things back under control again, Alex still lingers there at the bar, where a certain blonde is still waiting to get served and who, in the meantime, seems to have surrendered to her curiosity and got back to admire the dancers as well.

It's good that her attention is somewhere else, because then Alex can mix up a drink and revel in the feeling of seeing the blonde startle back to the bar when she slides it across the counter towards her.

"This one's on the house."

Blue eyes, wide, clear, and as stunning as a limpid summer sky, blink back into focus and lock with hers like a startled deer before shifting to the cocktail glass rimmed with salt, softening as her features adjust from the brief, unintentional scare, to the surprise of the unexpected, generous offer.

"Oh... _oh,_ thank you. But that's not necessary, really." She politely replies with a warm reassuring, twitching smile. "I have noticed how busy the other bartender was."

Alex just shrugs. "She was taken hostage by a group of women." And then, unable to control that devious hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth... "It happens around here every now and then."

This earns her a soft chuckle.

"It seems like they were very _thirsty,_ too." The young, blonde woman replies, ultimately accepting the drink.

Alex husks a laugh, truly amused by the simple, yet humorous and clever quip. "That was a nice one."

The young woman's smile widens too, enough for Alex to notice the sign of dimples on her cheeks and the flash of perfect white teeth as she brings the glass up before sealing her lips around the rim coated with crystals and taking a first generous sip, as if she has been craving for this, and then... the blonde moans at the taste.

Clear blue eyes briefly fluttering closed in authentic bliss.

"Wow... this is so delicious." She half mumbles half moans, mostly to herself, sounding so pleasantly surprised. "I honestly never had such a great margarita in the city before."

"Well, you never came here before." Alex points out, and if she sounds a bit cocky and her smirk widens a bit more, well... Nicky's not here to get that kind of ammunition to use on her later.

Something flashes across the blonde's face, eyes crinkling, head tilting to the side and a look of compelling curiosity shaping her young features with what seems to be a question that Alex anticipates and promptly answers without needing to actually hear it.

"I would have remembered a face like yours."

It's simple, and it's also the most honest thing she's had to admit in all night and that doesn't weigh heavily on her. Which is... oddly refreshing.

But upon uttering that truth, she also notices how that curiosity shimmering in rippling blue eyes seems to grow into intrigue, successfully masking what Alex can hardly believe was a shade of shyness that she thought she had caught a glimpse of earlier when the blonde's gaze had first landed on the bikini-dressed dancers.

It's hard to resist it.

That silent call for more.

As if it's something only she can hear; that curiosity that must be quenched. It attracts her with the same magnetic intensity that blue gaze searches hers. And even though Alex has been wanting - _yes, okay, she can admit it to herself with no problem as long as Nicky is not around_ \- to do this since she first saw her, she finds the need to be even more demanding when she gracefully extends a hand to introduce herself.

"I'm Alex, by the way."

She is fairly sure that there is no reason why she should feel that tingle-like sensation when the young blonde woman, without diverting her gaze away from hers, instantly takes her hand, or why that feeling should spread lower, pooling warmth in her stomach. But it does.

A warm palm and long, manicured fingers slide into her own hand, gently, but closing with a certain firmness, tentative at first, and yet confident all at once. But the fascinating, oddly balanced contrast definitely doesn't mask the eagerness held in the gesture itself.

"Piper." The blonde supplies in a soft whisper that shouldn't sound so clear with the music buzzing all around, but it is to Alex's ears.

Alex smiles, grins actually, and there it is again. That lightly flushed smile that she receives back, the same one she thought she has seen earlier, only this one is _so_ much better. Fuller and warmer. _So_ much warmer that the sight of it makes up for the loss of contact when they both, reluctantly, let go of each other's hand.

"So, Piper..." Alex starts, conversationally, as she passes a rag on the top of the bar, pretending to keep herself a little busy with some light cleaning while prying - even though not too intrusively - into the young woman's possible motivations for her visit. "What brought you here tonight?"

The blonde- _Piper,_ releases a breathed laugh in response that is half self-deprecating and not-quite-embarrassment, even though, Alex notices, her cheeks do gain a light, lovely tinge of pink at the question even if she tries to mask it by tilting her head down and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I, uh... I have heard many people talk about this place," She answers, twisting around the glass in front of her by the base of the steam with suddenly nervous, restless fingers. "And when my business partner told me that I should come here and check it out for myself, I... got curious." She admits with a little shrug before releasing another breathed, self-deprecating laugh. "Now, however, I believe it was more like a dare, or that she was trying to play a prank on me or something."

While Alex believes that yes, business partners are definitely the most irritating kind of colleagues - she does know, and can testify to that - that statement still has her appraising the young woman with curious, slightly narrowed eyes.

"Why would you say that?"

Piper merely arches an eyebrow in response to that question.

"My business partner telling me to go to what has turned out being not a simple nightclub but a famous _sex_ club?" She scoffs, taking another sip from her drink, and when she speaks again, the tequila seems to have washed away that trace of sarcasm from her voice, which grows somehow more... wistful. "She also might _not_ have been particularly nice to me when she fist suggested me to come to this place. In fact, from her tone, she might as well have told me to loosen up and take the stick out of my ass."

Alex refrains from making the kind of pun that instantly comes to mind, but she still has to fight off a smirk. Because _dammit,_ Nicky and her influence are hard to fight in front of such an opportunity. But she manages, waiting until the humor inside her subsides and Piper's gaze shifts back from the drink to meet hers, looking at her with those impossibly limpid, now even softened blue eyes.

"We had an argument. Work stuff." She unnecessarily adds, somehow guiltily, and it's that fleeting emotion that makes that look somehow even more endearing.

Alex this time doesn't fight the smile tugging at her lips. "Either way," She says, brightening her tone in an attempt to cheer up the situation and the blonde's mood. "Just so you have all the right information, sex is not the only kind of... entertainment, that we provide." She oh so professionally informs. "We also do massages, have a couple of saunas, hot tubs, and our personnel is all certified, from the massage therapists to... all of the _other_ specialists ready to provide our most requested services."

She definitely isn't trying to show off, least of all publicize the business (even if the pride is there in every word) but Piper surely looks pleasantly surprised by the mentioning of those other few not-sex-related and relaxing services.

"Oh," Still, that soft sound of surprise clearly slip past her lips without her consent, and then she stumbles all over her own tongue to apologize. "I'm so sorry, that was rude, I didn't mean- I didn't want to assume, I just-"

It's quite the endearing sight, really. Maybe because Alex doesn't see it too often, especially in here.

Or maybe it's the fact of seeing it on someone who doesn't seem to have confidence issues what makes it so much more... enjoyable.

But for how oddly entertaining it is seeing that flustered look on the blonde's face, Alex doesn't make her squirm, and promptly reassures her with a smile. "It's okay. Many come here with that assumption, which is... quite fair." She truthfully admits. "I'm not going to lie, our major business comes from the private contracts we stipulate with our clients."

Piper deflates, looking visibly relieved by the assurance, and also quite curious by the mention of those private contracts and what they might _include._

But it's a look that quickly shifts into one of suspicious, as if she just caught something else hidden in that string of information...

Blue eyes narrow, and a subtle knowing little smile tugs at her rosy lips, but Alex doesn't have time to ask her what it is that the blonde provides the answer with a question of her own.

"You are the boss around here, aren't you?"

Alex can't help but grin, slow and wide.

"Something specific gave me away?"

"No, it's just..." Piper pauses, shakes her head, smiling a little to herself. "The way you said that. I recognize a figure of authority when I see one."

For Alex, it's almost too much hearing that. And there is no preventing the grin already stretching on her face from shifting into a smirk.

It takes a few beats, but then Piper seems to visibly do a double take, no doubt finally realizing how _that statement_ , in _these_ circumstances and in such place, must have sounded like.

Her cheeks flare into a bright blush, and in front of it, Alex struggles to hold back the laugh that she can feel bubbling down in her chest.

"That is always good to know." It's what she says eventually in reassurance instead, getting rewarded by an even brighter shade of pink when she - unable to help herself - fixes her glasses and throws a little playful wink at the oh so prettily flustered blonde.

"But to answer your question," She also adds, not wanting to drag such a lovely display of embarrassment for too long - for the young woman's sake. "Yes, I co-own the place. And yes, I'm also the bossy one around here respect my own business partner," _who is most likely taking advantage of her current assignment in the back to put aside some of the new equipment for... personal research._ "Who is less on the bureaucratic, legal stuff." Is the acceptable alternative she comes up with instead. "But I got the feeling you already know of what I'm talking about." She concludes with a knowing, softer smile.

Thankfully, that seems to be enough to make Piper recover from her flustered state.

She snorts and rolls her eyes, mumbling an exasperated _"I sure do"_ before taking another sip of her drink.

The tequila in there seems to be having its first effects, and even though it's too early for the alcohol to kick in, even just the taste of that refreshing new sip seems to be enough in helping her to relax. Some of the tension in her posture melts away from her shoulders as she half turns on her stool and just takes another moment to look around at the surroundings.

Gaze shifting from every corner as she compliments the place's traits. Seeming to appreciate the proper illumination to the bar, but that gets softer towards the dancers' stage, the comfortable-looking black leather couches, and even the volume of the music, loud enough to be heard, but not too much to not allow the patrons to carry a proper conversation. She seems to like the genre too, softer and infinitely more refined than the usual trashy, pumping music heard in some squalid strip club around the city.

"I like the atmosphere in here." It's what she says, nodding in approval after a thorough scan of the main two joined rooms visible from the bar. "It's elegant and dim, but not... secretive."

"We have nothing to hide." Alex simply states, quite matter of factly. "Although, for obvious reasons, not everything that we offer here can be displayed on the stage. In fact..." She halts herself, briefly chewing on the inner corner of her mouth as she appraises the woman in front of her, who is clearly struggling in between asking for more information and holding back her rampant curiosity, until at last she just decides to go ahead and offer the invitation she had in mind. "If you are interested, I could show you around."

She feels pretty confident in that offer, and yet, for a moment, in the few, short, and yet seemingly much longer couple of seconds that follow, Alex expects her to decline. Find an excuse of some kind. The way the young woman's back stiffens into that tighter posture again combined with the fidgeting fingers against the sweaty glass is proof enough of that.

But then, just a moment before Alex can take back the invitation, and before that uncomfortable feeling can have a chance to settle in her stomach and make her think that she might have overstepped with someone so new to all of this - that frantic movement of nervous fingers stops, just as the blonde brings the glass to her lips, steadily, taking the last sip left of the drink and straightening up, smiling, a bit shaky, but actually making the wall of nervousness crack enough to show the true eagerness that was at the source of that fidgeting.

Perhaps she wasn't expecting the invitation, but Alex might have misinterpreted that moment of hesitation and nervous, flaring curiosity for discomfort. And she sure is delightedly thrilled when the young woman answers with a fuller smile and a confident "I would love to."

 **. . .**

It's not exactly wonder, but Alex can tell, as she leads them through the club, that the young woman seems at the very least impressed, especially by the unexpected dimensions of the club, as they navigate through it.

The hot tubs and Finnish sauna, as well as the massages rooms, are closed for the night, but Alex shows them to her anyway.

But it's when she leads her inside one of the free rooms- one of the _private rooms_ meant for the _private_ kind of entertainment, that Piper seems to lose all of the composure she had somehow regained after her slip back at the bar.

"So this is where you, uh..."

 _Make our business pleasure,_ Alex wants to quip.

"Entertain our contract costumers however they please." Is what she supplies instead, although still with a note of humor in her voice and in the amused, little, charming smirk that she flashes as the blonde steps further inside, with that obvious curiosity barely veiled by the contrasting, endearing tentativeness, even though the brightness in her clear blue eyes easily gives away her awe.

"All of our equipment is safely handled," Alex informs when Piper moves towards one of the shelves displaying a variety of toys. "We use hygienic precautions so that nothing has to be in direct contact, but we also thoroughly disinfect everything afterward anyway since all of the equipment is washable."

"You are quite equipped." Piper points out, looking indeed fairly impressed by all the... variety of _specific_ _items_ in the room.

Alex smirks.

"We are. We like to be prepared for whatever fantasy our clients want to satisfy. And as long as it is safe, sane and consensual, we do it. And of course," She adds, shifting into obviousness because maybe it is unnecessarily stressing such thing at this point, but she does it anyway. "As long as _all_ the participants are adult women. That's the first rule here at the club."

Piper smiles a little to herself, answering distractedly with something that sounds like _"I may have noticed"_ as she scans more attentively the simple, yet refinedly decored room, all red satin and decorative pillows, rendered even more elegant by the few spatters of gold of the baroque-like design on the walls. And when she inhales a bit more deeply, Alex has no doubt that she must have caught the faint smell of wax from the soothing, sweet vanilla, ginger and lavender scented candles mingled with the stronger, unmistakable tang of leather.

Piper moves closer to admire the assortment of a few insertable toys with an interesting, unique design neatly displayed on a second shelf, right beside the wall hooks on which are hung many other instruments meant to bring both pleasure and the most enjoyable kind of pain.

Her gaze seems to linger a beat longer on a riding crop, and she almost reaches out to touch it before tearing herself away from the temptation as if thinking that it may not be appropriate.

If Alex had to guess, she would say that despite the initial hesitation that she has noticed in Piper about seeing for herself one of the rooms where _the main action_ takes place, she would say that the young woman seems maybe a bit... relieved, by the simplicity of the... furniture. At least that's what she gets when her whole posture relaxes even further at the sight of the large, comfortable canopy bed.

"I hope you weren't expecting a dungeon." Alex teases lightly. "We prefer to focus on the pleasuring part more than the rough, punishing one. Although we _do_ offer that kind of service, too. But within much safer limits."

Her intention is not to get Piper flustered all over again with that remark, but she definitely doesn't mind the display either when she is once again rewarded with that delightful tinge of pink.

"No it's- Well, _yes,_ I mean..." Piper stutters, pauses, admiring the structure of the bed and all the places where restraints can be hooked into, before glancing at red silk sheets, the soft-looking pillows, as if it's not the kind of furniture she would have expected to find. But, once more, her attention seems to be diverted with far more interest to the restraints ordinately lined up on the wall just beside the bed. From the simple ropes, to the smooth, more professional leather cuffs and the couple of different collars and leashes.

Piper swallows, visibly, diverting her gaze once more down to the large bed, and this time, despite the obvious contrast of emotions bubbling up inside her, she doesn't stumble over her own tongue when she speaks. "I have to admit that is much less intimidating and far cozier than I expected."

There is something somehow fascinating for Alex in admiring the curious young woman scan the room and every item in it, in hearing her voice the relief for the more welcoming... appearances. That look of veiled wonder on her face and the sparkle of intrigue in those clear blue eyes... The light in the room is dim, a soft reddish hue that casts the surrounding into an ambiance even more intriguing, but Alex can still spot the pretty tinge of pink that has gathered on Piper's cheeks and descended on her neck.

It's not discomfort. That sparkle in her eyes makes it impossible for Alex to think so, and to be proved ultimately right, that light blush of what is clearly a combination of contrasting emotions, is not strong enough to hold Piper back from asking what has been showing on her face for all this time.

The reason why she came at the club in the first place, despite it having been "a dare" as she said.

"So, uh..." She starts, a bit awkward, but so damn endearing in trying to regain her composure, that Alex has to suck her own lips into her mouth and briefly duck her head, fiddling with her glasses in order to suppress the smirk tugging at her lips before gazing back up at the flustered blonde, already predicting the question that is clearly about to come.

"Let's say that someone might be _interested_ in... _trying_... one of the experiences that you offer here." She pauses, swallows once more, and then, looking more composed than she actually feels, she continues, trying so hard to sound casual when she finally asks, "How would the whole thing proceed then?"

Alex, for the second time in less than a minute, has to twists her mouth on the side to conceal the smile that was about to take over her whole face in front of such sight. Once more she has to fight the temptation to just take a moment and enjoy this wonderful display of contained shyness, beautifully contrasting eagerness and burning curiosity.

It's not the kind of mingled emotions she is used to see in her contract clients- which are usually so much more uninhibited and pretty much straightforward - and even if some might have been more hesitant at the beginning, no one has ever shown it so... adorably.

Somehow, she manages to keep herself together, definitely not wanting to make her _guest_ feel uncomfortable, and providing her the most simple and honest answer of all.

"However you want." It's what she offers in reply, smiling reassuringly. "And I mean it. The client _always_ decides the kind of service."

Relief immediately smooths out Piper's features as she visibly relaxes, shoulders unlocking as she releases a long silent exhale through her nose that has Alex think that she might have been holding her breath for the whole time. It only makes her smile stretch a bit further as she reaches into the inner pocket of her blazer.

"Here." She says, retrieving and extending to Piper her business card. "I know that for someone new to this whole world it is something to properly think through." She acknowledges with sincere understanding. "But, in case you decide you want to know more, this is my number. I can get you an appointment and we can talk about what you had in mind. _Specifically,_ in details. Fantasies, limits... Anything you feel comfortable sharing and, most of all, possibly experiencing here."

It's simple and direct, equally professional and friendly, and while there are more things that Alex definitely needs to tell her about, things like medical clearance for a good heart, and blood tests results for health safety purposes, not to mention the different types of services and payment and legal contracts to stipulate, she doesn't want to overwhelm her right now. All those details, after all, she can already imagine that Piper, who just like her is apparently a businesswoman herself, might definitely suspect the existence of.

Piper takes the card, fingers thrumming with equal nervousness and that same undeniable thrill that has kept her buzzing with energy for the entire time, but her smile, when it tugs at her lips under that lovely blush, is real and unwavering. "Thank you." She says, sincerely and grateful. And Alex can't help but smile back. "You are welcome."

There are more questions in those clear big pools of blue. Alex can clearly see them shimmering when their gazes remain locked for a few more seconds, and while she may not be the kind of woman who likes to pry, she is oddly curious by the hesitant look on the blonde's face; by the way she bites down on her bottom lip as if refraining from making a possible request.

Alex is just about to encourage her when suddenly, a loud crash and a mumbled curse coming from outside makes them both startle.

 _"Son of a cow!"_ The voice, a _way_ too familiar voice for Alex who barely refrains from groaning, reaches them into the room, coming from what seems to be just down the hallway, so brutally breaking the moment and the comfortable silence surrounding them.

Alex heaves a sigh and resists the temptation to roll her eyes, flashing the confused, startled blonde an apologetic smile. "Excuse me for a moment, Piper."

With that she walks back to the entrance, poking her head out of the door and...

Yep.

There she is.

Right down the hallway.

Her troublemaking partner. Holding a cardboard box of equipment and standing in front of a second one that has apparently slipped from her grip and spilled the contents all over the floor.

Good thing that all the rooms are still empty this early so no one else has to assist to such scene or get disturbed by what Nicky calls _"used toys recycling"_ because _"come on Vause, stuff is still good, and it's not like I can donate this to the orphans. Might as well keep it for... research and further testing."_

Alex grimaces at that same old excuse.

"Everything all right back there, Nichols?" She asks, trying so hard to keep the exasperation out of her voice. And she succeeds. However, she can't do anything about that note of tiredness that seeps inevitably in her tone. She is anything but surprised by the display.

At the very least she manages to catch _her friend_ by surprise, who startles up to attention. Eyes wide and that _"oh shit"_ look on her face. It's almost enough to make Alex laugh actually. Well... _Almost._

"Oh, hey Alex, yeah don't mind me" She reassures, dismissing her worries with a wave before placing the other box on the ground and bending, starting to pick up the items that have spilled out from the other box. "I was just doing some spring cleaning."

Apparently, way too curious to stay behind, Piper reaches her side and takes a step outside as well just as Nicky stands up from the floor and, after having moved a few strands of her from her face, those dark eyes zero immediately on the new presence by the door.

Nicky tilts her head to the side and squints to make sure she is seeing things right, and there is very little that Alex can do at this point. She is just going to have to endure what is probably going to be an endless string of insufferable teasing from her friend for having been caught with the same cute, young blonde she had noticed her staring at earlier.

For the moment, however, Alex can take the slow, smug grin that stretches on her partner's face.

"Oh, I'm _sooo_ sorry. I didn't know you were _busy."_ The smartass even pretends to apologize. Too bad that her shit-eating grin makes it sound like anything but sincere. "Don't worry about me, Vause. You keep doing _whatever_ you were doing." The way she stressed that whatever part leaves not much to the imagination. And if not, the mischievous wink that follows certainly clears everything up for good.

Alex narrows her eyes, sending a warning glare that goes completely ignored as Nicky returns to the mess she's made. "If only I could," Alex mutters under her breath, shaking her head.

"Is everything okay?" Piper, still a bit - rightfully - confused, asks, waving and smiling back tentatively at the still smirking redhead kneeled down in the middle of the hallway, and yet, hearing her voice is enough to bring Alex's attention back to her from her unsuccessful task of silently reprimanding her partner from afar.

She sighs as she turns back to her... _guest._ Her best friend truly has the worst timing _ever_. Even when she is not actively interrupting anything in specific.

It doesn't make it any less annoying though.

"I'm sorry Piper." Alex apologizes again. "Business partner's shenanigans." She explains then. "I was starting to forget I was meant to babysit tonight!" That last part is said deliberately a little more loudly and directed outside the door, but not so loudly to disrupt the quietness of the hallway, just enough to have the short redheaded woman glare back at her before she retreats into the storage room in the back to retrieve who knows what else.

"I'm sure you know what it is like." Alex continues, flashing Piper a lopsided smile.

"Oh, I most certainly do." Piper reassures with a knowing little smile of her own, and, somehow, the sight of it, is enough to make Alex feel considerably less annoyed by the whole interruption thing.

Their gazes remain locked for a few more seconds, with no pressure or awkwardness. An oddly comfortable silence that no one should be able to feel so easily with someone they just met. And yet, it's undoubtedly there.

Alex could definitely manage to look into those compelling, deep blue pools for a few moments longer-

 _"Oh for the love of-"_

-if only it wasn't for the new round of mumbled curses and the muffled sound of yet another box falling over back into the storage room, spilling - by the sound of it - much heavier content all over the floor for the second time, reminding Alex of the long chat she is about to have with her partner.

Piper chuckles when she rolls her eyes in exasperation.

"I really have to go." Alex says, reluctantly, and so very apologetic, because even the young woman seems to be a little disappointment - if not surprised - by that fact.

"Oh, of course. I think it's for the best if you still want to have an intact club by the end of the night." The blonde playfully replies, succeeding in stretching another smile on Alex's face.

"Let me walk you back to the bar." She offers as she closes and locks the door of the room they have just visited.

But Piper shakes her head. "No, it's okay, really." The young woman assures with a smile of her own. "I can get back on my own. But... Thank you."

And then, that smile turns softer, almost shy even, as blue eyes look up at her from beneath long eyelashes, and for a moment Alex is just unable to look away.

"My pleasure." She replies, and then, just as sincerely, like she hasn't been in a long time. "It was very nice meeting you, Piper. And I hope I'll hear from you, soon."

With another smile and before Piper can say anything more than a "Nice meeting you, too" Alex is turning around and heading down the hallway, towards the storage in back of the club, feeling quite ready to pretty much murder her troubling business partner for appropriating of work's used material, but mostly, her irritation has mainly been generated by the interruption with a possible... _client._

Behind her, the young, blonde, slightly flustered woman, is still standing there, admiring her retreating form until she vanishes into the same room her partner has disappeared into.

And it's only then. Only when she steps out of sight, that blue eyes blink back into focus, shifting from the vacant hallway and returning to the card that she has been unconsciously twisting around between her fingers.

Alex Vause, it reads.

Piper traces the tasteful, graceful font used for the name with the pad of her thumb and admires the simple, yet elegant logo of the club placed right underneath.

 _A rose._

But not just _any_ rose.

Of course not.

She can feel the blush coming back with a rush on her cheeks as well as she can feel the amused smile that curls up her lips.

Because that rose happens to be shaped so cleverly and beautifully in the form of _something else, so_ exceptionally _similar_ to another thing shaped just like a blossoming flower.

She makes her way back to the entrance of the club, and while she could go for another drink, especially another one of those margaritas, and considers doing so, there is this feeling, this fluttering heat pooled in her stomach and tingling a bit in her chest that makes her head outside instead, yearning for a sip of fresh air, for the coolness of the night on her heated cheeks, and for the general distraction of the city buzzing alive all around even at night. But even that is not enough to subdue that feeling that has pooled so warmly in her belly, or prevent her from smiling a little to herself, curious and intrigued, biting on her lower lip when she turns to take a look at the club, at the long line waiting outside, before pocketing the card safely in her coat.

* * *

 **Kinda wobbly in this style, but I'm slowly finding my balance, I think :D Anyway, there is something I forgot to mention in the AN above - something that doesn't have to do with this fic. I'm aware that the new season of the show is almost out, and I truly hate to be so repetitive every year especially since most of you guys have been very careful and patient and understanding with me about it. Still, a few people during the year have sent spoilers (probably unintentionally, and thankfully nothing major) despite the constant warnings I put in each story. I just wanted to remind you guys to please, do not mention in the comments the new season, anything about it, not even what's in the trailer, or send requests about it. I still have to finish the fifth season, that's right. I'm a bit of a sloth with the tv shows I love. So pretty please, let's just pretend that the new season is far, far away and we know nothing about what it's going to be like. Season six? Nope, I'm still in the bunker with Red tied up to a chair :P Anyway, back to the fic, this first chapter here is just an introduction, of course... but even in an AU I couldn't not have Vauseman already exchange lingering glances and smiles :P**


	2. Chapter 2

Hello there!

You guys... You guys are seriously the most wonderful readers and followers ever :D

I wasn't expecting such an awesome response to the first introductive chapter of this story! Seriously, I'm still a little overwhelmed by all of your lovely enthusiasm, and I'm beyond delighted that you have liked the previous chapter and the general idea for the story! But most of all, I'm so immensely happy and relieved in knowing that you guys haven't found the different POV too "detached" or even confusing. That, to be completely honest, was my biggest concern. But you have been so reassuring and wonderful and so kind in your comments. I just... truly can't say how much I appreciate all of your support :D

I can just say thank you so much for being so awesome, and then I can give you this little treat to keep you company :)

So here you go with the second chapter :D

Enjoy

* * *

"The sales have been very good lately, just in the past bimester those for our organic scrub have increased by fifteen percent. That formula seems to be a real winner. Maybe we should go ahead and launch the face exfoliating version we have been testing, or maybe even do a body lotion with the same fragrance, since apparently, from the survey, costumers really seem to appreciate that particular blend. And I was thinking that we could make a promotion, sell them together like a set just before the holidays, or... Pipes? Piper? Chapman!"

Piper startles in her seat at the half-shout, eyes blinking rapidly to regain focus from the haze she has unexpectedly plunged into, gaze tearing away from the papers on the desk that she has been staring at blankly for who knows how long, and snapping back up to look at her business partner's frowning face.

"What?" She asks, sitting back against her chair in a more composed fashion, trying not to squirm like a little kid that has been caught and reprimanded for not paying attention at school would do.

Polly's frown only deepens and darkens further. "Are you even listening to me right now?"

Piper straightens up some more in her seat, as if assuming a better, more "professional" position would help her disentangle herself from those tendrils of... whatever it was that has been holding her hostage for the past few minutes.

"Sorry." She apologizes eventually. "Last night-" But then she immediately halts herself, quickly thinking of an acceptable, boring excuse that won't have her best friend all over her. "I just... went to bed a little later than usual, that's all."

It's lame, sure, but it's not exactly a lie. Either way, she has the confirmation that her excuse did a poor job in being convincing when she notices how the irritation on Polly's face in hearing that reply shifts immediately into suspicion.

"Why?" Her friend asks, and then the crinkles of confusion around her pursed lips slowly smooth out and stretch into that teasing little smile that Piper has been trying to avoid from eliciting. "You've been out partying?"

Apparently, taking a couple of extra seconds to come up with another excuse is all it takes for Polly to get some twisted idea.

"What? You did?! No shit!"

Piper groans. Closing her eyes and bringing a hand up to rub at her pulsing temples. She really isn't in the mood for this today.

"I didn't go to a party, Polly." She sighs, tiredly. "Where are we? Back in high school?"

When she blinks her eyes open again and glances tentatively across her desk, Piper is met with the sight of her best friend rolling hers.

"People our age still goes partying, Piper. Well... Maybe not my age." She corrects. "But _your_ age, I'm not twenty-nine anymore, or even single, or childless. But the point is, you should really learn to relax a little. Take some time off."

And here we go again.

The speech that is becoming an almost daily routine.

"Please. How can you say that, Polly? This is your business, too. _Our_ business." Piper stresses. She really does _not_ want to get into this whole nonsense again.

"Yes, _it is_." Sharing the business it's apparently the only point Polly has no problem agreeing with. "And if you had been listening to a word I said in the past twenty minutes, you too would know that everything is fine. _Great_ even."

If her friend is trying to make her cave in, then she is doing a very poor job. If anything, she is just-

"You are just proving my point exactly, Pol. If the business is doing great then we- _I_ am working just fine." She sighs, feeling already exhausted in knowing that she'll just have to go through the whole thing again.

"You have a husband and a baby." She states, calmly. "Me? This is all I got. I can't afford distractions." _Especially not now that we are taking into consideration some serious investments to expand the business,_ she thinks to herself, but, unsurprisingly, Polly dismisses entirely the first part of her speech.

"You _so can_ afford _any_ kind of distraction, baby girl." Her friend, just as expected, argues back.

"You know what I mean, Pol."

She has to admit that this conversation, one that they seem to be having a lot lately, is making her grow considerably more annoyed with her partner.

And not in that oddly endearing and entertaining way she has seen Alex and her own co-owner/friend/business partner interact with last night.

Suddenly, a spark, or maybe something more like shock actually, travels through her system.

Alex...

Just the thought of the tall, cheeky, raven-haired, green-eyed woman entering her mind, along with the reminder of the pleasant company and conversation that they had, is enough to take her back to last night for a few more seconds and make her lips curl into a little smile.

"Jesus, where the hell is your attention at today? And why do you keep _smiling_?"

"What?" Once more Piper shakes herself out from that haze she has fallen right back into, barely catching her best friend's question and the look of utter confusion on her face. "I'm not-" But she immediately pauses mid-protest. Because a straight off denial would be too suspicious, so instead she comes up with another excuse. "It's nothing, just... something my brother told me the other day."

It's been a long time since she has had the dark inquisitive eyes of her friend scrutinizing her so attentively, and she is not going to lie, it takes a lot not to squirm under that gaze.

" _Sure..._ Whatever." Polly knows her better than this, and she clearly doesn't seem convinced - at all - by that blunt lie, but thankfully, mercifully, she apparently decides to let it slide with just a lingering suspicious glance before sighing and voicing her concerns once more.

"Look, Pipes, I don't want to push you or anything-" And here Piper barely resists the urge to scoff and roll her eyes. "I'm _just_ saying... you are the one with all the freedom. So unless you want to take advantage of that and lay some of your excessive duties on to me, split like in an equal partnership, I might feel compelled to send you on a spa far, _far_ away until you'll be less twitchy and stressed out of your mind. I mean... look at you. Today you can barely pay attention for five minutes."

Piper _loves_ her job.

She is proud of her business with Polly, of what they have built together.

Sometimes even a little too much perhaps.

And apparently, her friend is leaving her with no choice.

She can hardly believe that her own damn business partner is practically threatening her own damn job with a vacation.

"There is no need." She says, and when her best friend looks up at her, confused, nonetheless giving her full attention, Piper knows there is no coming up with the third excuse of the day or turning back altogether.

And so she straightens up, and after summoning some much-needed boldness, she says,

"That place that you told me about? The club? I... went there."

For a brief second, the pair of dark eyes across from her widen, only to go back to normal when Polly shakes her head and dismisses her confession as bullshit.

" _Pff._ No, you didn't."

"As a matter of fact, _I did._ " She insists.

Her friend just blinks back at her, obviously distrustful, and it's such an annoying look, made even more irritating by that silent knowledge that her friend clearly doesn't believe she has the audacity to have done such thing... It swells the kind of anger that pushes her right over the limit. Making her say something very, very, incredibly stupid.

"And I have made an appointment."

There.

And _oh, boy..._

It tumbles from her lips before she can have a chance - in her blazing, anger-fueled annoyance - to re-think about it. Her own eyes widen in shock and her spine goes stiff. And yes, it may be a lie, but Polly doesn't know that, and this time, she can at least revel when she does succeed in eliciting the kind of reaction from her friend that she was expecting since the beginning.

"Are you kidding me?!" Polly sputters in disbelief, launching forward on her chair, almost slamming against the desk "I was just fucking with you, Piper!"

"Yeah, I got that." The blonde mumbles, unimpressed, under her breath, willing her heart rate to return to a more acceptable rhythm.

When she is met with only silence and a slack jaw and wide, unblinking dark eyes, she sighs again. "What is it, Polly?"

Her friend gapes some more before shaking herself out of the momentary shock, regaining some of her composure back, and Piper tries not to smirk too widely in front of such a satisfying sight. "Nothing. I'm just... impressed, actually." Polly admits, and then, just as honestly and guilty all at once. "I didn't think you had the stones."

That is enough to make Piper's eyes narrow into a sharp glare.

"Well, I do." She grits out defensively, suddenly feeling so much like when she was a kid and dared to do something by one of her peers. "I went there and I made an appointment." She states, chin held high and gaze unwavering. "Is that so hard to believe?"

It takes a great deal of effort to keep a straight face with that lie weighing on her.

To not falter in front of the look that Polly sends her.

It's... suspicious, to say the least. But, apparently, she is doing such an exceptional job in not giving away the lie that she is just immensely grateful when Polly, eventually, just grins and then leans forward, with a bright gleam of curiosity in her dark eyes.

"So how was it?" Her friend practically whispers, as if they were anywhere but in her office right now, as if anyone would be able to hear a word of what she is saying and they weren't completely alone.

Piper leans back onto her chair, allowing herself to finally relax her tense posture, and then she smiles a little to herself as she lets her mind drift back to last night (like it has been doing for a great part of the morning actually) recalling all the most refined details of the club.

"Elegant. Immaculate." She states, approvingly. "In between some exclusive nightclub and a luxury hotel. And the rooms..." Those are the ones she recalls in particularly vivid details, but just limits herself in describing them to her friend as, "It was like staying on the set of a tasteful, high-class adult movie."

Polly's eyes widen like saucers again, jaw dropping right on the floor, and Piper doesn't understand the reason for such scandal until her friend incredulously sputters, "You went _into the rooms?!_ Wait, did you _actually-_ "

 _Oh for the love of-_

"God, _no._ Jesus Polly! Calm down." Piper, wonders, as she reassures her alarmed friend, how one of their simple, usual meeting about the company reports has turned into this, but then remembers it is actually mostly her partner's own doing. "I just saw them, okay? I _didn't_ do _anything._ " _-yet,_ a small, tiny part of her whispers back. "The owner, Alex... she showed me around, gave me the whole tour."

"Really?" Polly frowns, sounding somehow surprised by that bit of information. "I remember reading an article some time ago, on the paper, that she banned a bunch of customers from the club. Those people made her sound like a cunt."

Maybe it's the unnecessary harshness of that awful insult said so carelessly. But hearing such comment makes Piper stiffen and clench her jaw. Fixing her friend with a serious, reprimanding, hard stare.

"What?" Polly asks, utterly confused.

"I'm sure she had her reasons to do such a thing." Piper defends, because of all the first impressions she's had last night after meeting Alex, she can confidently tell that the raven-haired woman seems to be anything but irrational. "And there must have been one for sure if the story was even on the paper, don't you think?" She asks her friend. But she doesn't wait for an actual answer, or pays much attention to the narrowed, suspicious look that Polly sends her upon listening to her description of the kind, mysterious owner of the club and her behaviour like they haven't actually just met and spent less than half an hour in each other's company.

Still, she feels this urge to stress that, "She was really nice, and welcoming."

It seems very dimishing actually. A little reductive considering how much at ease Alex has made her feel the night before, and how comfortable and pleasant her company has been...

" _Okaaay..._ " Polly nods, very slowly and so annoyingly indulging. "Whatever..." She dismisses then with a shrug, before getting once more extremely excited when she immediately asks, "So, when do you have this appointment?"

And just like that, in front of that search for details based on a lie, Piper loses the composure she has somehow managed to keep together till now, trying to do her best not to crumble. Or even blush into a furious shade of pink.

"O-oh," She stutters. "Well... _I-_ "

But apparently, fortunately, her friend doesn't seem to expect an actual an answer or a specific date, and Piper watches her with bated breath as she just stands up and gathers the freshly co-signed documents on the desk, looking ready to leave and to have, mostly, shockingly, fallen for her lie.

"I just really hope it is soon," She says, aligning the papers against the edge of the desk before cradling them against her chest and fixing her with a serious expression that almost has Piper sink into the chair again. "Because if I catch you staying well past office hours again, or working over weekends for no other reason than advantaging yourself for things we are supposed to do together, then I'm going to tie you up, duct tape you, and send you to that spa your mother used to go to."

And then, suddenly, Piper doesn't feel so small anymore, or even cornered in front of her partner's reprimand.

Indignation flashes hot on her face as her entire body goes stiff. Because even if Polly didn't say it, the " _uptight"_ comment was well audible to her ears in that threat.

Her eyes flash and her jaw clenches.

"You did _not_ just-"

"Oh, I _so_ did," Polly assures, looking so utterly unaffected and unafraid by her glare. "And I mean it, Pipes."

With that promise and another one of her annoying smirks that only reinforces her authentic devious intention, she turns around and exits the office, retreating into her own.

Piper slumps back into the chair with a long exhale when the double doors click shut behind her friend. She closes her eyes and rubs them before standing up.

Polly is not _entirely_ wrong.

And Piper is aware that those at the base of her threats are sincere, friendly - sisterly, even - concerns. And if she is being completely honest with herself, she must admit that she could use a few days off or a distraction from her intense working schedule.

The past year and a half have been erratic, Polly got maternity leave, but she didn't stop for one second. Keeping the company up and running on her own has been quite stressful. But she also... got used to it.

Maybe too much.

And maybe she should break the circle on her own before her friend decides to extend that verbal threat to something actually concrete.

She heaves a long tired sigh before reaching into the pocket of her coat hung on the wall, just beside the large doors leading to the balcony outside her office, pulling out the elegant dark red and black card that Alex has given her the previous night.

A light tingle starts on her fingertips upon feeling the slightly rough texture, reminding her of the way her fingers have oh so delicately brushed with the long, slender ones of the raven-haired woman when she was handed the card.

She bites her bottom lip, contemplating her options.

Maybe she could just... make an appointment for a massage or a sauna.

Make it weekly if the experience turns out being exceptionally good.

Either of those sounds very inviting and relaxing enough, and, most important, it will get Polly off her back for at least a few days.

It's that exact reason that, eventually, motivates her enough to type the number on her phone.

...But it's not the only reason why she ultimately decides to press the call button.

A flash of teasing green behind dark framed lenses, a mysterious, intriguing smile and a deep, slightly husky voice might have something to do with that reason, too.

Just like the images of a room, of a large bed with satin sheets, and shelves filled with a vast array of toys and just as many different kinds of restraints hung ordinately on the walls, might, unconsciously, give her an extra push.

She tries to ignore that irritating whisper coming from somewhere in the back of her head that tries to mock her with compelling arguments like _"there are hundreds of spas all over the city, and yet you have decided to book a sauna and a massage into a sex club run by the tall, compelling owner with the fair complexion and mischievous, enchanting, gleaming emerald eyes."_

Somehow, she manages to shut that inner voice up as she brings the phone to her ear, turning to the large windows of the balcony to admire the view of the city spreading below the building. And even if she has always found a certain calm in watching the way the sun envelops such a rampant city with the quiet energy of a romantic orange glow, this time, she can't quite get a hold of her nerves - which are making her buzz with a sudden nervousness - or even understand the origin of that... something, that begins fluttering to life deep down in her belly when the phone starts ringing.

 **. . .**

The knock on the door comes just when Alex is finishing to put in order some of the papers that have been piled up on her desk for a great part of the morning.

"Come on in." She calls absently, while carefully and ordinately filing each reviewed contract into the right folder.

The door clicks open, and a pair of heels, by the sound on the hardwood floor, step inside, but Alex only diverts her gaze from her work when she is greeted with a tentative, "I... hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

Alex looks up at the new presence in her office, blinking to adjust her vision, and a smile stretches on her lips (a bit tired, but sincere nonetheless) as soon as the woman comes into focus.

"Not at all," She reassures. "I'm just finishing up here."

Her guest smiles and nods knowingly when her gaze drops on the much more tidy desk and neatly aligned folders.

"Of course, I haven't forgotten that you are the one in charge of all the bureaucracy around here."

Alex can't help but chuckle at the alternative that instantly flashes in her mind upon hearing that comment. "Leaving Nicky to take care of any of these documents for five minutes would be like leaving a teething puppy in a library."

That image makes her guest chuckle as well. "She would make a cute golden retriever, though."

"Well," Alex smirks, finding it hard to disagree. "I assure you that sometimes she can be just as excitable." _especially when asked to go_ retrieve _some new and shiny toy from the storage room,_ she thinks, but refrains from making the pun.

When she looks up again from her newly perfectly organized folders, her guest is still smiling, and then she is shaking her head, as if to recompose herself.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm a bit early." She apologizes, but Alex immediately dismisses the unnecessary worries as she stands up.

"It's okay." She reassures, picking up the stack of contracts and locking them securely into the nearby archive cabinet. "I've literally just finished. So you are right on time actually, for... whatever you had in mind for this appointment."

"Nothing much, actually. Just..." Her guest pauses, and steps closer, and Alex does too, coming to a halt in front of her desk and leaning back against it, arms crossed and a teasing eyebrow raised, waiting. "...taking you out to that renowned Thai restaurant just down the street."

"Restaurant, uh?" Alex asks, quirking one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows and licking her lips to wipe away the smirk that was already starting to form there. "It's a bit more _public_ than what I was used to but-"

And then Alex should have sensed it coming. Especially considering the extremely close proximity.

She should have noticed the lip bite thing of her guest, the way that clear gaze had shifted down to her own lips when her tongue has briefly darted out to lick them.

But she is caught completely off guard by the kiss she gets so eagerly pulled into.

There is boldness in the way she gets tugged close by the hand slipping on back of her neck, but the lips that press against her own are still somehow soft in their firmness.

It doesn't last for long. The kiss is clearly a successful attempt in shutting up her wit, but when they part, and Alex pulls back, there is no trace of playfulness in the other woman's face. Just a seductive little smile.

"Just let me take you out for lunch, Alex." Sylvia asks her, almost pleading.

And Alex might still feel a bit dazed by the unexpected kiss and by the desire that she sees already burning in the fiery redhead's eyes, but at the moment she really can't think of anything to do, except accepting the invitation. And so she nods.

"Yeah, okay..."

The redhead grins.

A wide smile that reaches her gray eyes and makes them sparkle like silver.

She looks pretty, Alex thinks. Beautiful even, and when she leans in to kiss her again, with renewed enthusiasm for accepting the invite, Alex leans in too, unconsciously, meeting her halfway with a spontaneity that is... _quite easy._

It's all a bit new.

This vast, uncharted territory she is wandering, stumbling all around, on her own.

She is not used to it, and there are moments where that cracked ground still doesn't seem so stable under her feet. But when she manages to regain her balance, it feels... nice.

The kiss deepens, growing into that something more hungry and carefully more demanding, and Alex loses herself a bit in it. In that familiar warmth of desire starting to flicker. In the gentle sting of teeth on her bottom lip that makes her automatically respond with a bit more of fervor on her own and that gets welcomed with extreme approval when she takes full control.

Yeah... It's nice.

Maybe they can try this, after all.

 _Why not?_

Maybe she can do this.

Sylvia's arms come up to rest around her shoulders, pulling her closer, pressing the soft curves of her lean body against her own, and yes...

It feels good.

It feels... _good enough._

* * *

 **You guys didn't think I was going to make things all smooth and easy for Vauseman since the very beginning now, did you? :P Oh, but don't you worry too much ;) Anyway, since the show's premiere is quickly approaching, I feel the need to repeat this one more time for the people in the back. Please, if you intend on watching the whole season in one sitting, do not comment on the show, send requests (I'm not taking any at the moment anyway) or leave spoilers of any kind about the new season, not even comment or leave opinions whether it is good or not. I would like to find that out for myself, in my own time. So please, keep the comments section spoiler-free you guys! And also thank you, because I know that most of you already know I'm a bit of a sloth with this show, and are being very considerate and patient with me about this. But... just so you know, and since I have received so many (rightful, lol) questions about where I am in season five now, well... Let's just say that I have recently seen Piper get down on her knee and say Alex's full name before asking one very big question... And I keep smiling like an idiot every time I stop thinking about it and about how that scene came out so perfect and wonderfully fitting :D It was just so conventionally Vauseman in its unconventional proposal :D And Piper being the one asking it, coming to that firm realization, made it so deeply meaningful and, if possible, even more perfect :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone!

Well, I'm _delighted_ that I have caught a lot of you by surprise with how the previous chapter ended :P And it seems like you guys really don't like Sylvia, do you? Lol, I wonder why. She didn't do anything! Why all the hate? Even in the show, she never _actively_ stood between Vauseman or tried to sabotage their relationship, she was just (rightfully, in my opinion) angry, I mean... imagine yourselves returning home and finding someone naked in the bed you share with your partner. I'm pretty sure you'd be throwing punches and flipping tables, too :P

Anyway, while you were all probably busy watching the new season in one breath (I haven't even watched the trailer yet, lol) I've been working on this veeery long chapter for you. It took me a little longer to complete it, but here it is :D

Enjoy

* * *

"I thought you said something about no drinking on the job, Vause."

Alex merely arches an eyebrow at that comment, eyeing the miserable finger of Lagavulin that she has just poured into a tumbler before glancing back up at her partner.

"Seriously Nicky?"

Her friend just shrugs with that half grin on her face. "Your rule, if I remember correctly."

Alex rolls her eyes and takes the bottle once again, pouring just as much of the luscious, rich amber content into another glass and sliding it towards the bar and to where Nicky has been toying with one very uncooperative beer tap.

The offered drink has Nicky grin widely, she accepts it without a second thought, and any other protest she might have had dies instantly when she brings the drink to her lips.

"Cheers." She says just before taking the first sip.

It's a bit too much though, and she swallows it a bit too quickly, ending up choking and then coughing to regain her breath, which makes Alex smirk against the rim of her own glass.

"Jesus!" Nicky wheezes. "What the hell is _this?"_

"Not cheap rum, dumbass." Alex reprimands her, somehow affectionately though. "You have to sip it slowly."

Nicky glares back at her. "Thanks for the heads up, partner." She mumbles, but Alex just grins in response, so totally unapologetic.

This time, at least, her friend follows the advice, taking a smaller sip and letting it sit on her tongue for a moment before swallowing.

Nicky's dark eyes flutter closed, an unequivocal sign of approval that is echoed in the low groan that rumbles deep down in her chest.

"Whoa..." She breathes out, sounding so pleasantly surprised and impressed by the smoothness of the taste unfolding on her palate. "Good stuff."

"Yeah," Alex agrees, distractedly, releasing a long silent exhale as she lazily swirls the remaining of her drink, admiring the hypnotic way the amber liquid sloshes and ripples at the bottom of the glass. "I was thinking about introducing it into our most expensive list."

It's silent for a few more moments and Alex doesn't mind it. She has been quite thoughtful the whole morning, for reasons she is not sure she can properly put into words.

But she does know that it's only a matter of seconds before her best friend is bound to point that out.

"Mhm, I guess that's what got you so wistful then."

And, right on time, her partner doesn't disappoint in being as annoyingly observant as always.

Nicky has actually been splitting her attention in between trying to fix the tap and giving her a couple of curious looks for the past few minutes, so the comment doesn't come as a complete surprise.

Although, those not-quite-suspicious, nonetheless slightly concerned glances, have made Alex feel a little uneasy, but not too much to make her stand and leave or even say anything about it. Well... at least until now.

Because, apparently, given the lack of response, Nicky decides to take the initiative and just... dive in.

"So... you and Sylvia, uh?"

Alex can't help but smirk in front of the fleeting look that crosses her friend's face for an instant, that forced nonchalance that has her looking anything but before she goes back to (pretend) trying fixing the tap.

" _Yes?_ " Alex ventures, indulgingly. "What about it?"

"Did her incessant flirting work some kind of magic on you all of a sudden or what? I mean... she is your girlfriend now, isn't she?"

Nicky may be the cause of so many troubles occasionally, but sometimes she also offers such an entertaining show of awkwardness that makes up for some of her mostly innocent shenanigans.

"Jealous?" Alex asks at last, even though she knows that addressing Nicky's old, not-so-secret crush for the redhead is a temporary solution, but she is still delighted to see her best friend startle, just a little bit, at what seems to be - still - quite a rightful accusation.

"What?" Nicky scoffs awkwardly. "I have _no idea_ of what you are talking about." Oh, she so does, but recovers pretty quickly from the ambush. "And I'm fairly sure we were talking about you, so don't deflect, Vause."

Alex could easily turn her friend's own words back to her, or ignore her altogether, but there is really no point in delaying this inevitable talk. So she sighs in defeat.

"She is not my girlfriend." She admits then, very softly. "We have decided to take things slow. Try out and see how things unfold. If it works. So for now, there are no strings attached. Of _any_ kind." She stresses because sure as hell her best friend was about to make some awful pun about the variety of strings they deal with on a daily basis here at the club and her expertise in tying them up.

However, when she concludes and looks up, amusement - surprisingly, shockingly even - isn't the expression that she finds on her best friend's face.

In fact, it's nowhere to be seen. Not in the usually humorous dark eyes, and neither tugging subtly at the corner of her mouth.

Which is almost alarming actually.

"Sure..." It's all Nicky limits herself to say, and honestly, right now, hearing that kind of indulgence from her friend isn't even source of annoyance. On the contrary, it makes Alex soften a little and it urges her to confess that, "I just... I don't feel like committing in anything serious with this kind of job, Nicky."

Upon hearing that, however, her best friend abandons the defective tap and turns to her with an utterly baffled look.

"What the hell are you even talking about?" She asks, genuinely confused. "You haven't taken contracts and handled clients - personally - in over a year."

"Yeah, well that might be about to change." Alex informs her because this is as good a time as any to discuss business. "We have a couple of potential contract clients in the waiting list. Nothing sure for the moment, but if it becomes official I might need to take on some of those old duties while we search for another entertainer." Having new clients it's always good, but searching for the kind of personnel that the role requires is not easy, at all.

"And in case I'll actually need to fill in some of the appointments," Alex continues ignoring the wide-eyed look on her partner's face. "Sylvia already _knows_ about it, and she _understands._ I'm perfectly capable of keeping my professional life separate from my personal one, thank you so much, Nichols."

"Really?" Nicky counters, not mocking but definitely skeptical. "Even when your professional life could possibly include pleasuring other women in a hypothetical near future? Being physical changes things, Alex."

It's not very often that her friend calls her by her first name, and usually it is to either try getting out of some trouble, or when she is being so brutally, openly honest and serious about something. And by the deep frown that has taken over her best friend's face right now, there is no mistaking which circumstance this is.

Useless to say it doesn't help the situation.

If anything, having that raw honest truth directed at her only makes Alex snap a little.

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this anyway?"

"Why aren't _you?_ " Nicky shoots back. "I mean... if you really like her you wouldn't want to possibly jeopardize things between you two. Sex business to run or not. And you _do_ like her... _right?_ "

In front of that question, Alex instantly finds herself back in her office a few days ago, pressed between her desk and the redhead's body. Their mouths fused together, and a slender hand shoved between her legs, cupping her sex through the thin layer of pants and underwear, firmly enough to make her... _react,_ at the touch, and make her groan against Sylvia's smirking lips.

"Yeah. Of course I like her." She says with certainty once emerging back from those memories, shifting in her seat, pressing her legs together, and yet, despite that feeling flickering pleasantly in her stomach, and that unmistakable pull of desire that echoes from her memory and tingles much, much lower in her belly, she still hears is. That _"enough"_ following her sentence. That inner whisper coming from who knows where and that she promptly drowns, along with whatever else was there buzzing in the back of her head, by taking another sip of her drink.

When she puts the glass down, her friend is still appraising her with that look, with those incredibly smart and attentive dark eyes of hers.

" _Of course,_ " Nicky repeats, sounding anything but convinced, and suddenly, Alex really needs to be _anywhere_ but at the end of that look her friend is giving her right now.

"I need to go." She states standing up from her seat at the bar. "Got a few things I need to take care of before we open." She explains, which is not exactly an excuse either. Early afternoon does bring a few costumers, and if she doesn't finish to take care of some documents she has sitting on her desk, then she won't be able to receive the clients herself and will have to pass the ball to some subordinate.

Thankfully, the reminder of the quickly approaching afternoon opening is enough to get Nicky into gear and, mercifully - much to Alex's immense relief - abandon their previous conversation altogether.

"Yeah, me too..." Nicky agrees, heaving a sigh, glaring at the broken tap she has been fighting with for the past few minutes. "I'll see if I can fix this damn thing over here. There's too little pressure. Must be a problem with the pipes." With that, and a groan of annoyance for the inconvenience, Nicky steps out of the bar and heads in the direction of the keg room.

Before she leaves, however, she turns back to Alex and does an exaggerated salute, like a soldier that is about to go on a dangerous solo mission would do. "Wish me luck." She says, and then, a bit more softly, and adorned with a small, conciliatory smile, "Catch you later, partner."

Something in Alex softens as well, and she can't help but smile and chuckle, shaking her head as she watches her best friend march away.

She waits until she is sure that Nicky is out of earshot before sighing, in a weird combination of relief and guilt all mingled together.

Unwilling to dwell on the conversation they just had, or (even less) on a few, lingering, troubling thoughts sticking in the back of her head, she just knocks down the rest of her drink and, after tidying up the bar, she goes back to her own duties as well.

Those always manage to keep her from overthinking things and temporarily subdue her doubts.

Well that, and a nip of whisky.

 **. . .**

Piper is never going to admit it to her best friend, not even under torture, but _damn_...

She should have taken the advice _a long_ time ago.

The sauna turns out to be immensely relaxing on its own, and exactly the kind of spoiling she needed in such a chilly day. But it's still nothing compared to the massage that follows.

"Is the pressure okay, honey?"

Sophia- one of the massage therapists that work at the club and that has been assigned to her for the next half an hour of massage, asks her when a moan inadvertently slips past her lips.

And, normally, Piper would be a little embarrassed, but right now, that uncomfortable, scratchy feeling is nowhere to be found, just like the nervousness she felt earlier before coming here at the club.

"Yeah, yes, it's... fantastic." She assures, releasing a long exhale through her nose when the fingers moving on her back, kneading and digging into months of tightness find another delicate spot just underneath her shoulder blade.

For the first time in over a year, she is actually not spending her late-lunch hour hunching over her desk on a pile of papers and reports and possible marketing strategies.

Polly and her insisting might have something to do with her decision, but she still counts it as a very satisfying accomplishment of her own.

The fact that her massage therapist also happens to be incredibly good at what she does and in making her feel comfortable, it only makes the experience all the more enjoyable.

And since she also seems to be quite friendly, a bit chatty even, it gives Piper ideas, besides enjoying the treatment, realizing that she could use this time to maybe... gather some information about a certain intriguing figure she has spent less than half an hour in company with a few nights ago and hasn't left her thoughts ever since.

"So... uhm," She ventures, starting with a simple and very casual, "You have been working here for long?"

"Mhm, a couple of years now." The reply comes almost instantly, followed by a certain, additional amount of details. "Alex used to call me when she arranged drag nights before I got my license, and once I did, she offered me the job."

Piper wasn't expecting an opening so soon, but she surely doesn't turn away from it. After all, in her business, she has learned to take advantage of certain opportunities.

"You must have known her for a while then..."

This time the answer comes a bit slower, and when it does, it's dragged with that weight of suspicion behind it. "You could say that."

Still, Piper decides to dig a bit deeper. "So... what... can you tell me about her?"

And it's then that she realizes that she might, after all, have been not as subtle as she thought she was being.

"If you are trying to make me spill something about the boss honey, that ain't gonna happen." Sophia, much to her mortification, reprimands her.

" _W-what?!_ N- _no!_ I mean-" Piper awkwardly sputters in an attempt to recover. "I was just asking because I met her and..." Honesty, apparently, is her only way out at this point. "And she seems very nice." She says, cheeks flaming bright red with a combination of embarrassment for having been caught and... something else she can't quite identify but that seems to have taken refuge between her chest and stomach, and in the effortless smile her lips shape into. "I was wondering if she is always like that."

The excuse, which is not an excuse at all, and the honesty in her voice, however, seems to do the work.

"She is," Sophia answers with the firmest certainty. "With those who follow the rules and treat her employees with due respect and not like merchandise."

Piper almost startles in hearing that, smile wiped instantly off her face, and she's only prevented from turning to look at her massage therapist with wide, incredulous eyes by the hands urging her down onto the bed.

"You have had problems like that here?" The shock, however, is still very audible in her voice.

"Personally, no," Sophia answers, relieved. "I only do massages after all. But a few of the other girls, the dancers in particular, yes. But Alex took care of those... _offending customers._ In a rather public fashion, too."

Instantly, Piper remembers Polly's comment from a few days ago.

 _So that's what that article she mentioned was probably about,_ she thinks to herself.

If that's really the case, and it definitely seems to be, then she'll make sure to mention it to her friend and shove the rightful motivation right to her frowning face.

Although... the reason why she feels the need of defending the reputation of a woman she just met a few nights ago and barely knows at all, remains a mystery she doesn't want to dwell too much into.

"And while I understand your curiosity," Sophia continues, successfully - thankfully - tearing her away from those... confusing thoughts, "You are not getting another word out of me, honey."

This time she is talking again about her boss. About Alex. And about _her_ digging not so subtly for information on the raven-haired woman.

There is undoubtedly a smile in that warning, in that gentle, amused reprimand, and since Piper knows that she is truly not getting anything else from the talented masseuse, she just relaxes back onto the massage bed and enjoys the rest of the delightful treatment while fighting off the blush that is still there tinging her cheeks.

 **. . .**

Okay, so maybe she has taken a different turn after exiting from the changing room, and, to be completely honest, it could be because she might still feel a bit blissfully lightheaded by the massage that seems to have melted away months of stiffness from her shoulders and back, but...

Even though she has seen a great deal of the place when Alex has given her the tour a few nights ago, she seems to have wandered into a secluded area reserved only to staff members.

She sighs, shouldering her purse and gripping the gym bag with her change of clothes in her other hand. She is already turning to go back and find her way to the entrance of the club when, in the moment she is about to round the corner, she is ambushed by an unclear mass of reddish-blonde hair coming towards her.

She manages not to scream at the sudden, very unexpected sight, but she does startle back when a short woman, whose mass of wild hair belongs to, almost crashes right into her. Halting barely in time.

"Whoa! What _the-_ "

And then, Piper not only hears the voice ring from a very recent memory, but also when a face comes into view under all that voluminous hair, she instantly recognizes the young woman as Alex's business partner.

"Oh, hey there, blondie."And it seems like the petite woman recognizes her as well (with exceptional ease, too) if the big grin that stretches on her face as soon as she takes her in with big dark eyes is any indication. "What are you doing here?"

She is holding a rag, Piper notices, cleaning her hands from something that has left greasy black stains on the piece of fabric. There is a light smudge of the same substance on her chin, too, and if those signs aren't enough to draw a conclusion, the toolbelt that she is wearing loosely around her hips, is the ultimate indication of some maintenance job.

Still a bit taken aback, Piper merely manages to blink out of her surprise and utter an awkward "Uhm, hello" before flashing a tentative smile and then apologizing once she regains some of her composure and remembers, exactly, where she is. "I'm sorry, I was... just on my way over the reception to make an appointment but- I think I got a wrong turn from the massage/changing rooms."

The smile on the petite woman's face twists into a smirk upon hearing that embarrassing excuse, but it's so lightly hinted that it's not even cause of any further discomfort. And, if anything, the answer that follows actually takes some of Piper's worries away.

"Yeah, tell me about it. This place is a freaking labyrinth. Sometimes I still get lost, too."

It's obviously a polite attempt to make her feel better and much less embarrassed about getting lost in the first place (in a _sex club_ , which is just... ugh... the recipe for a joke in itself) but Piper still very much appreciates the humor and the lightness it brings with it.

She even chuckles - a breathy, quiet little laugh that makes her release some of the tension that has made her stiffen up at the unexpected encounter - and the sight has the short young woman smile wider.

"We haven't properly met," She rightfully, and quite politely, points out. "I'm Nicole- Nicky, uh, Alex's sidekick partner, although... you probably already know this after that night."

It's impossible not to smile in front of the scolded-child look that crosses her face, and when a grease-clean hand is extended to her, Piper doesn't hesitate to take it into her own for a friendly shake.

"Piper." She supplies, with a sincere, easy smile of her own. "It's nice to properly meet you, Nicole."

The petite woman flashes her another dazzling grin.

"Nicky's just fine. But yeah, likewise. Now come," She invites with a tilt of her head towards the direction she came from. "You said you want to book another appointment? I'll get you to Alex's office. She will take care of that. I'm _sure_ she won't mind _one bit._ "

That last part is stressed with particular weight and the smile on her face stretches into something a bit more devious, a light of mischief twinkling in her dark eyes, as if she might have had some _awesome_ idea, but at the moment, Piper, besides frowning a little with a hint of confusion in front of such look, doesn't think much of it, and even though she could easily decline the kind offer, say that she could just call, and even tries to convince the short young woman that she could just go to the reception at the entrance to take care of that, Nicky reassures her that it's no problem at all and... if Piper has to be truly honest with herself, the prospect of seeing the intriguing co-owner of the club for a second time, it simply possesses this... compelling gravitational pull of that gives her no real choice but fall into that orbit of a welcomed possibility.

It's just too hard to resist it.

It makes her insides quiver with a thrilling nervousness that travels down her spine and tickles on her fingertips. And so, unable to provide any other answer, eventually, in front of yet another reassurance, she nods, and with a grateful smile and a simple "okay then, thank you" she follows the humorous, petite woman, whose smirk - Piper notices - only widens.

"Oh, you're _very_ welcome, kid."

 **. . .**

Alex's office is just like the rest of the club.

Elegant and neat. With those few, balanced touches of a classic style here and there that fit between the rest and has Piper think that the simple, yet refined design and choice of decor all over the club must be all after the raven-haired woman's taste.

Nicky gives her the impression of being... a little more practical perhaps.

The short reddish-blonde woman drops her in there with a quick "She'll be here shortly" throwing her a friendly wink, and with that, she exits, leaving her to admire the surroundings of the cozy study.

From the solid, custom made, cherry wood desk, the comfortable office leather chair behind it, and the vast library that takes up an entire wall.

The entire space has character, unlike her own sterile, cold, too modern white office.

Alex's has warmth, while still being a neat and a very professional environment.

Although there are some things, like a couple of statuettes and a few other... ornaments, like the little globe and the couple of pyramids sitting on the desk that Piper wouldn't have expected to find.

They kind of stand out and might even... clash... a bit among the rest of other things that are present in the office. Especially with the suggestive painting hanging on the wall beside the large window behind the desk.

A painting of two women. One holding a whip in one hand, and the leash of a collar tied around the second woman's neck in the other.

It's a little abstract.

Calculated splashes of colors that create undefined lines, which helps in not conveying an overly sexualized portrait, but something that it's still... undoubtedly erotic nonetheless. And quite tasteful. Somehow subtle and yet so obvious all at once.

A sharp contrast that makes it so utterly unique and intriguing. A match to some traits that Piper has caught a glimpse of a few nights ago from the owner herself.

She smiles a little to herself under the soft blush that inevitably tinges her cheeks. A tingling warmth that, if she has to be honest with herself, might be spreading a bit lower too, turning into a low, muted pulsing deep down in her belly in front of that... fascinating painting.

She diverts her gaze in an attempt to find a distraction to that feeling, and she finds it when she turns around and her attention is immediately brought on the opposite wall, and to the library resting against it that she has first noticed upon entering.

So vast and so fully stocked.

There is a variety of reading material that goes from management books to encyclopedias. There are even two entire shelves filled exclusively with law books, and just the presence of them says a lot about exactly how much seriously the raven-haired woman takes her job. If anything, it makes her even more... appealing. _In a strictly professional way, of course._

But despite that attractive aspect of a truly committed businesswoman, what really captures Piper's interest, are the BDSM guides and safety manuals that she finds so ordinately lined up on the middle shelf.

There are _many_ on the practice of bondage.

She is about to reach out, give in to the curiosity that is gnawing at her from the inside, and take a closer look at one of those books, when the sound of the door clicking open and the one of a firm step halting on the hardwood floor makes Piper spin around with a start.

But it's when she finds herself face to face with a certain tall, raven-haired, green-eyed woman, and when their gazes lock immediately, that something in her chest stutters to a halt as well, jumping up in her throat and leaving her breathless for a long couple of seconds.

Maybe it's the daylight, the way the rays of the sun filtering through the window seep through Alex's hair and brings a shade of dark auburn into that luscious black mane, or the deeper, warmer shade of green that she finds in her eyes what makes Piper stutter out of her axis for a second only to stumble back into place. Maybe even more aligned than she was before.

But the woman in front of her looks just _so-_

"Piper... Hi," Alex abruptly interrupts her trail of thoughts, greeting her with more than an understandable hint of surprise. "What... What are you doing here?"

Although, under that initial start, a small smile still shows on her face, smoothing out the lines of surprise (if not those lingering because of puzzlement just yet) from her attractive features.

"Hello Alex," It takes a few moments longer for Piper to recover from her previous, (thankfully interrupted) thoughts. To shake off that feeling that has expanded in her chest, and articulate - without stammering too much - the reason for her presence in the office.

"Your friend- uh, partner- Nicole, she told me that I could wait here for you, to book another appointment."

The remaining crinkles of confusion on Alex's face and lightly narrowed eyes smooth out into realization then, eyebrows twitching up for an instant as she nods understandingly to herself.

"Of course she did..." She mumbles, mostly to herself, yet loud enough for Piper to hear her.

"I hope it's not a problem I waited here," Piper adds, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and tightening her grip on her purse' strap, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious about her decision to stay. "I told her that I could have called, but she... kind of insisted."

And just like that, Alex's green eyes narrow some more behind the lenses of her glasses.

"Did she now..."

It's very similar to that not-quite-mad and half-exasperated look that Piper has gotten a glimpse of a few nights ago when they got interrupted by the loud crash in the hallway outside the private room that Alex was showing her, and she can't help but smile a little in front of it, especially once she remembers the brief interaction between the two partners.

"She seems nice. Funny."

Alex exhales a long sigh as she closes the door and steps further into the room.

"Yeah, sometimes I think about abandoning her at a carnival, or outside a cabaret, a circus or something. She would make a fortune with her pungent sarcasm and juvenile wit alone."

Alex may say that with that tired, almost exasperated look on her face, but there is also this little twitch at the corner of her mouth as she speaks of her troublesome friend, that doesn't mask the affection for the petite woman hidden in that pretended annoyed statement.

"It's no trouble at all," Alex reassures her then, smiling sincerely, and successfully erasing the doubt that was still there, lingering in the back of her head. "I'm... glad to see you. Please, take a seat."

And Piper does, accepting the invitation and taking a seat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk, dropping the gym bag with her change of clothes on the floor and holding her purse in her lap, more because of the need to keep her fidgeting hands still than anything else.

"So," Alex starts, rounding the desk and taking her own seat on the leather chair behind it. "I take it you and Sophia got along all right? You look quite relaxed."

"I am," Piper confirms, smiling. The level of relaxation that she has reached in the past hour is undeniable to anyone. Except maybe to Polly. "She is an exceptionally talented masseuse."

"She sure is." Alex agrees with a hinted smile of her own as she flips open the laptop on the desk. "Would you like to have her next time too? I'm sure I can find a spot in her schedule that will coincide with yours..." She says, eyes narrowing behind her glasses at the computer screen as she scrolls through what's probably the calendar of appointments.

And Piper is about to say yes. She is about to say that early afternoon, just like today, would be ideal for her. She even takes out from her purse her own agenda and opens it, but...

She stops herself before answering.

And she doesn't know what it is exactly.

If the presence this room is so subtly filled with between the bondage books and the painting on the wall, or how incredibly relaxed and calm and comfortable she feels after that massage, or... if it has to do with the woman in front of her and her captivating, alluring, yet comfortable presence.

All she knows for sure is that without the nervousness that she has sensed earlier and has been bubbling up inside her chest before entering the club and that has melted fist with the sauna and then the massage, that feeling of intrigue is... more present, and it has grown considerably.

Her thoughts bring her back to the other night, to the room that Alex has shown her. She thinks of satin sheets and a vast array of items meant to bring both pain and, mostly, pleasure, and she knows, she acknowledges, that the reason why she booked the appointment for a massage here of all the other available places scattered around the city - just like that little, mocking, inner voice has been telling her these past few days - was just an excuse.

When she blinks back into focus and her gaze returns to Alex, the raven-haired woman is looking at her with a hinted frown and curious, yet patient, emerald eyes.

"Actually," Piper backtracks, swallowing, hard, in a futile attempt to keep at bay the suddenly quickened pace of her heart that she can feel jumping in her throat as she closes and sets her agenda down on the polished cherry wood desk. "I was wondering if you could... give me a little more information on how your _other_ services work."

 _There._

The nervousness is back. Making her fingers twitch, her heartbeat thrum and her breath stutter... in such thrilling fashion, though.

But what's even more oddly rousing, it's watching the composed professional woman in front of her do a double take. Eyebrows rising and lips parting ever so slightly.

"Oh..."

She definitely didn't expect the request, but that doesn't mean that, once the element of surprise is gone, she doesn't also look undoubtedly pleased.

"Sure." She actually smiles, and then, just wanting to be sure, "You would... like to try _our-_ "

"I would." Piper interrupts her and confirms with a shaky smile before she can lose her momentum, and this time she gets rewarded by the sight of a wider, full smile stretching on Alex's face.

"Great, well..." Alex says, opening and rummaging through one of the drawers in her desk. "In that case, I have a questionnaire for you." She announces a moment later when she pulls out a thin stack of papers. "It's nothing intimidating, just the basic. The necessary to help me draw the outline of your... possible inclinations. If you like we can do it now." She suggests, handing over just two papers clipped together from the stack. "It won't take long and this would be very helpful in finding the most appropriate candidate for these other services you were... possibly interested in trying out."

As professional as ever, Alex concludes with the most polite smile, and yet, Piper swears that there this... twinkle, shimmering in those stunning green eyes.

...or maybe it's just a reflection of the window on the lenses of her glasses.

Either way, she answers with a "sure, okay" and reaches out, with no trace of hesitation, to take the couple of pages handed to her along with a pen, doing her best to ignore the heat of a blush that she can already feel scalding and tinge her cheeks into a soft pink, even though she feels so oddly calm despite the circumstances.

"If you have any questions or something is unclear, don't hesitate to ask," Alex tells her. "And if you don't know how to answer to a question you can just skip to the next one in the meantime."

Piper really can't help but smile in front of that reassurance. "Okay, thank you."

With that, she ducks her head and starts the... _test_.

The first few questions aren't anything particularly explicit.

The whole thing is clearly structured and limited to find out someone's sexual tendencies and preferences. And for Piper, filling up a form just like she is used to filling out paperwork, makes it seem so... ordinary considering the nature of what she is actually doing.

It's when she reaches the end of the page, however, that the real thing starts.

 _"Do you consider yourself as more dominant or submissive?"_

She knows she should have expected something of this caliber sooner or later, still, coming across of that question doesn't prevent some of the tension that she has felt melt away from her earlier return and stiffen up her back.

She doesn't have to write anything. There is just a scale underneath the question that goes from one, exclusively dominant, to five, totally submissive. She just has to put an x on where she stands on that rating but...

She hesitates.

But not for long. Because even though she is - naively - taken aback, there is this feeling, that same feeling that she has felt stir deep down in her abdomen a few nights ago and that eventually guides the pen in her hand to put an x on the four mark before turning the page around.

And... it's here that she gets actually, truly ambushed.

 _"What kind of fantasies do you have and which ones would you be willing to explore more extensively?"_ The next question reads, and below there are a vast series of checkboxes divided in two columns, one for each of the two questions.

Her gaze drops down to read a few.

Things like _anal, bondage, double penetration, orgasm denial_ stand out, catching her attention and suddenly, so fast that gives her vertigo - and makes her think that the half liter of water she was given to drink during the sauna may not have been enough - she gets slapped by how real and intense everything just got.

If a moment ago she thought that filling up the test felt almost like doing some paperwork, now she feels like a bucket or reality about what she's actually has been filling out has been thrown at her. And that bucket feels so much like a combusting heat rising from the pit of her stomach spreading in her chest and reaching the tip of her ears.

Her hand is shaking, sweating, the pen feels suddenly slippery in her trembling grasp, and her breathing keeps catching and stuttering in her chest with the same rhythm of her frantically beating heart.

"Piper?" And apparently, Alex is observant enough that she seems to have noticed it, too. "Is everything all right?"

Piper's gaze snaps up, only to find herself in front of a lightly concerned emerald gaze.

And plunging in those pools of sincere worry, it's really, _really_ way too much.

She puts the pen and papers down on the desk and stands up in a flash - almost dropping her purse in the process - which doesn't help one bit with her slightly lightheaded state, but it surely doesn't keep her from coming up with an excuse to offer to the suddenly very confused and mildly concerned raven-haired woman.

"I-I'm so sorry, I just..." She swallows, hard, bending to pick up her gym bag from the floor. "I completely forgot I have an important meeting in twenty minutes and if I don't leave right now I'm going to be late."

She is way too overwhelmed to come up with anything better at the moment, but the apology in her tone is real, and it makes her sound sincere, enough that Alex seems to believe her in fact.

The raven-haired woman stands up as well. "Oh... Sure, of course." She says, understanding nonetheless rightfully confused. "Would you like to reschedule maybe?"

"A-actually," Piper awkwardly stutters, internally wincing because she never, _ever_ stutters and is actually, usually, extremely eloquent. "I think I'll have to call you back to be sure. But... Thank you."

Despite everything, despite the tightness of contrasting sensations that have formed in her chest and made speaking - or even stand, actually - a challenge, the little smile that she flashes to Alex before saying goodbye is truly sincere.

It couldn't be any other way with how nice the green-eyed woman has been with her. But when she sees one being sent to her with the crinkles of equal concern and confusion, she turns, and just like that, she is off, reaching the door in two quick steps and doing her best to ignore that sense of awkwardness and embarrassment and what else that has flared inside her as she finds her way through the long, more familiar hallway, and towards the entrance of the club.

 **. . .**

Alex watches her go, unable to keep her posture from deflating, her shoulders from slumping as she releases a sigh when the door shuts closed behind the blonde, hearing the clicking of expensive high heels on the marble floor of the hallway getting more distant as Piper makes her way towards the entrance of the club with what sounds like a certain hurry in her steps.

She sits back down on her office chair, slumping back against it, taking off her glasses and rubbing at her eyes.

 _Such a great job the one you just did,_ she thinks, sarcastically, to herself, barely refraining from scoffing too at her own mistakes, because there is no point in reprimanding herself now for scaring off the young blonde woman like that.

She just exhales a long sigh and when she opens her eyes again and puts on her glasses, she reaches for the papers left on the other side of the desk to take a closer look at the half-completed questionnaire.

It looks... _Interesting._ Promising even.

Which only makes her realize how _wrong_ her approach has been.

Because looking at the papers in front of her it's almost like staring at a canvas in which the few lines that have been drawn are more than enough to open the imagination to a vastness of possibilities so full of potential.

The young blonde woman surely seems to be intrigued enough. Which is actually a confirmation to what Alex has seen the first night, and the reason why she came here in the first place, and - Alex also suspects - the reason why she _returned._

Too bad that ambushing her with all these questions at once has made her bolt.

Quite literally.

Alex takes full fault for that, for not having seen the tentativeness, the hue of uncertainty lurking behind that brighter reflection of curiosity and eagerness into those rippling, clear blue pools.

She sighs again as she drops the papers on top of her laptop, and when she straightens up and blinks, she immediately notices something on her desk that doesn't belong there.

A black leather agenda.

 _Piper's agenda._

She almost launch herself forward, picking it up in a hurry and for a second she thinks about sprinting after the blonde, but... considering the way she left a few minutes ago, with that urgent speed in her steps, she is already way out of the club by now, and at least half-way across the city.

Instead, she sits back down on her chair, releasing a long exhale as she opens up the elegant journal.

There are a couple of business cards tucked in a fold on the front page, she pulls one out and recognizes the logo first thing before the name and the position occupied by the woman.

Her eyebrows rise up in mild surprise.

Because it seems like Miss _Piper Chapman_ , just like herself, not only is a businesswoman in charge of things...

But she also happens to be _the co-CEO_ and founder of an entire, rising, and pretty successful small-medium local company.

 _A successful woman in charge with highly submissive inclinations,_ she corrects, eyeing once more the questionnaire sitting on her desk. _But who also seems to be holding back._

Maybe she is not ready or hasn't fully acknowledged or accepted some of her own inclinations.

Alex surely isn't the type to do any pushing, and she definitely has _no intention_ of starting now.

 _But maybe..._

 _Maybe,_ she thinks, picking up the expensive, elegant leather agenda and putting it safely away in one of her desk drawers, _she just needs to find a different approach with the young woman._

Something to introduce her more... smoothly, into this vast world that to her must be a bit intimidating besides obviously intriguing.

Reading people is part of her business after all.

And this is what it is. Who Piper actually might be to her, Alex reminds herself.

 _Just business._

And another possible _contract client._

Something like doubt buzzes in the back of her head, and not knowing from where it comes from exactly, she just ignores it and returns to work, flipping her laptop open, completely unaware of the little smile that tugs at the corner of her mouth when she thinks about how watching the young blonde woman bolt like a startled deer has also been... kind of endearing.

* * *

 **I know some of you guys want me to get to the Vauseman action part already, but there is some actual plot to this story, too, so please, be a little more patient with me :D And speaking of patience, I want to thank you guys again for being so considerate and careful in not sending requests or leaving any comments, spoilers and personal opinions about how the new season is. I really, truly appreciate you not saying a word about it :) Still have to finish the fifth season after all, but I'll keep you guys updated and let you know when I start season six, too :D Anyway, another thing about the chapter... Changing between POV like this would have been very confusing in second-person, practically impossible, and you guys with all of your lovely reassurances are making me feel more steady in this third-person territory I decided to explore :D So thanks for that, too! Sure, Vauseman still isn't a thing, but... I would say that something between these two is already stirring here :P**


	4. Chapter 4

Hi there!

Whoa, it's been a while uh? I apologize for the embarrassing delay guys, truly. You know well how much I hate keeping you waiting, but I wasn't/am not on a vacation like someone suggested, I just got a tad busy lately, errands and stuff, haven't even caught up with Orange and I _still_ have the last episode of season five there, waiting, with everyone still there in that awesome bunker, lol.

Anyway, now I'm back :D

And... Yeah, you better go grab an apple to snack on or something because this is a long chapter! It took me a while to finish it, I actually had it almost done for the past couple of days, but something didn't feel quite "right" and... well, I prefer to take my time and iron out the kinks (pun not intended, lol) than post something I'm not fully satisfied with / or feeling a bit unsure about :)

Anyway, here it is, and now I'll leave you to it :D

Enjoy

* * *

When Alex's gaze was drawn, rather magnetically, to Piper that first night at the club, she had also immediately - and quite easily - spotted the effort that the young blonde woman was putting in trying to look like she knew the place, had already been there and belonged in such environment.

Anyone else, anyone less observant than Alex is, could have even been fooled by that flawed nonchalance.

But not her.

Because she has seen right through the facade of that forced casualness covering the fidgeting nerves that have emerged after she had approached the blonde, offered her a drink and invited her to a proper tour of the club.

Although, right now, as Alex looks through the glass walls of the small conference room and watches attentively the way the driven young woman paces in front of a bunch of her subordinates with authority, with so much energy and motivation, an elegantly straight back, chin held high and a firm step...

Well...

For how attractive, and also (oddly, contrastingly) kind of endearing has been seeing Piper's cheeks heat up with a blush, and see those clear blue eyes shimmer with wonder and intrigue when she was showed one of the private rooms and all the vast assortment of very specific items it contained, or when, just the previous day, she fled from her office, stammering and almost stumbling - literally - through an excuse... those entertaining clumsy displays are nothing compared to the confidence that she seems to wear so flawlessly here, in her territory. Her _realm_.

Where s _he_ makes the rules and those around her have to follow her directives, her _orders_ , and obey _her_.

Alex's lips twitch into a smile, because now she knows - despite that whisper of a doubt that has been there, stirring in the back of her mind when she came up with this decision - that she did make the right choice in coming here today.

Witnessing this sight wasn't certainly planned, but it sure is a very welcomed one, especially considering the purpose that brought her here in the first place.

It's like obtaining another reassurance that brings her closer to the confirmation of what she already suspected being at the core of the young businesswoman. Because this kind of confidence cannot be faked.

The thing that makes this all the more enjoyable, however, is that despite the transparency offered by the glass walls of the small meeting room, Piper doesn't seem to have noticed her, standing there, outside, in the vast, empty hallway, even though she has moved to a less central and more discreet corner that keeps her position somehow more... hidden.

Because, after all, she doesn't want to become a _potential_ distraction, she thinks with the faintest smirk shaping her lips. But it seems like there is no risk of such thing to happen, since the blonde's attention appears to be fully on illustrating... whatever the graphics on the whiteboards behind her represents.

Alex could take advantage of the next few minutes until the meeting would draw to an end to look around the floor and take in the general decor of the building, which, despite not being exaggeratedly tall, the large windows at the end of the bright hallway lined up with plants, still offer quite a beautiful view of this part of the city.

She could take a moment to appreciate the modern surrounding, the simplicity and neatness and even freshness of white walls with those few touches of green and a few more earth colors scattered here and there on a couple of details that transpires the company's- _Piper's_ and, most likely, also her business partner idea of genuineness of their natural products.

But... for how much Alex appreciates the modesty of a style that is perfectly fitting for the place and the image it wants to convey, her attention seems to be drawn to one sight and one sight only.

And that would be the one of the tall, blonde, young woman in the conference room.

And... if her gaze happens to drop once or twice on that mid-thigh pencil skirt, and those seemingly endlessly long, stocking-clad legs rendered even longer and more toned by the pair of expensive, tasteful black heels, well... Alex's never been the kind of woman not to pay the due attention and properly compliment such a great pair of... assets when displayed so plainly, with at a lingering glance, a tilt of her head, and an approving, pleased smile curling her lips, even if the person to whom those appreciating glances are directed to is currently totally unaware.

Although, if she has to be completely honest, she would appreciate the sight even more if those long legs were left completely exposed, but the stockings are very thin, enough to allow her to see the rosy skin through them, and the necessity to wear them in such a chilly day is understandable and perfectly justified.

What she does notice, however - as soon as she is able to divert her gaze from those wonders - and has actually noticed since she first arrived at the floor just a few minutes ago, is that the... assistant, or whoever it is that is supposed to be occupying the desk outside Piper's office - the one just beside the meeting room that for some reason has been set right in between the two co-CEO offices - is nowhere to be seen.

But Alex can't bring herself to care about such detail, especially not when she finds out that her timing in coming here turns out being perfectly adequate since, just a couple of minutes later, the _"10 am briefing"_ (as scribbled on the agenda) finishes, and Piper dismisses her employees, no doubt each one with their orders to follow considering the stack of papers that they all cradle once they exit.

The half dozen of subordinate pour into the hallway where she is standing, too engrossed in their business conversation as they head for the elevator to even notice her, while Piper, also, still totally unaware of her presence as well, simply returns to her own office by slipping in a side door on the right that apparently joins the meeting room itself.

The temporary absence of the secretary is probably a good thing after all, because this way Alex isn't prevented to go right ahead and just... knock, on the frosted glass doors, which, the shiny tag on the wall, indicates as the office of no others than co-CEO Piper Chapman.

A distracted _"come in"_ echoes from inside almost immediately, and when Alex steps in, she is not one bit surprised to find the young businesswoman already sitting at her desk in front of some documents and an opened laptop, with a frown of deep concentration creasing her young features as she reads something on the screen while, simultaneously, writing something down on a notepad.

"Please, tell me that you got back those preliminary ideas from the marketing team downstairs." Piper sighs without diverting her gaze from the laptop, no doubt taking her presence as her assistant's. And... in front of such an opportunity, Alex simply cannot resist the temptation to take advantage of it.

"If I knew you needed them I would have gladly stopped on my way up, although... I'm afraid no one knows me down there."

The slender writing hand comes to a sudden halt on the notepad as the blonde does a double take, first on the odd report and then, an instant later, on her voice.

Clear blue eyes snap away from the computer screen, blinking, readjusting, and then widening with the same surprise that has her lips part and smoothes out the frown of concentration from the space between her eyebrows when she sees her standing there.

The confident businesswoman appearance seems to crumble, or at the very least stumble as soon as Piper takes her in, looking quite baffled for a long couple of seconds.

"Good morning, Piper." Alex greets her, with a politeness that, even though it's nothing but honest, it's also in clear contrast with the teasing little smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

She simply can't help it though. She can just try to contain it along with the thrill that she feels for having elicited this much-expected reaction from the now very flustered-looking blonde.

"Alex..." Piper whisper, blinking some more as if to further adjust her vision only to realize that she is actually there, in _her_ office, and Alex is just _so_ delighted by the display of the young woman almost tripping onto her own heels when she stands up from her office chair, that she can no longer restrain the wider smirk stretching on her lips.

Despite the slip from the surprise, however, she can't help but notice how Piper looks so impeccably professional wearing that simple but elegant white blouse, those modestly high heels and... just like that, Alex's gaze is once more helplessly drawn to the skirt and, more specifically, to those long, long, toned, stockings-clad legs when the blonde steps out from behind the modern white desk.

"What... What are you doing here?" Is the rightfully confused question that a still very puzzled Piper eventually asks her, and one that is instantly followed by the most endearing, nervous, awkwardly breathed, soft chuckle-like noise, that has Alex struggle to fight off the smirk threatening to take over her entire face at this point.

"I'm sorry," She apologizes then as takes a tentative step further into the vast, modern, bright office, because for how entertaining it is seeing that dazed, wide-eyed look of utter surprise on the blonde's face, Alex also knew that coming here, unannounced, to elicit such reaction, was also something of an indulgence from her part, with the perfect excuse (opportunity) of the forgotten agenda.

"I know I should have probably at least called ahead," She recognizes, re-shaping the amused little smirk on her face into an honest, apologetic smile."But I just wanted to give you back this." She announces, extending the black leather agenda that she has been holding, clasped in her hand behind her back. "You... _forgot it_ at my office yesterday."

Piper's eyes narrow in yet another frown of puzzlement as they shift to the offered journal, only to widen once again with striking realization and something that can only be described - by the way her entire posture visibly and immediately relaxes upon the instant recognition - as immense relief.

"Oh, my agenda! I've been looking all over for it!" She exclaims, finally stepping away from the desk to approach her. "I thought I had left it at home, or the coffee shop, or even-"

Suddenly, the young woman's rambling comes to a halt. A soft blush tinging her cheeks as she flashes Alex a twitching, nonetheless sincerely grateful smile when she is handed back the precious journal.

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome," Alex replies with a smile of her own shifting slightly back into another one of those hinted smirk when she sees the blonde practically cradle the agenda to her chest.

"Although..." Alex also adds, unable to resist to her own playfulness when she feels it emerging once again in front of that sight. "I have to say that it's... _odd_ , knowing that someone still relies on pen and paper to write down appointments considering the advantaged, technological era we live in. Odd, but very refreshing." She stresses - because she definitely appreciates having discovered this little trait in the blonde - and then she revels at the sight of the young woman unsuccessfully trying to fight off the hotter blush came to scald her cheeks some more upon hearing such comment.

It's a hue that suits her well, Alex thinks.

A shade of pink that compliments so prettily her natural complexion.

"I found out that I remember appointments much more easily if I write them down by hand." It's what Piper offers in explanation, which is totally unnecessary, but Alex still grins in hearing that excuse.

"I see. Your handwriting is quite elegant, by the way." She even compliments, adorning the praise with a more appropriate and contained smile, and for how much she tries to keep it that way, it's close to impossible to prevent it from growing when Piper instantly flares into an even brighter shade of pink. Head snapping up, wide, clear blue eyes locking with hers in alarm.

"Y-you _read_ -"

"I just peeked," Alex promptly reassures her. "I didn't come across anything private, don't worry. Although... I might have taken a longer peek on today's schedule and noticed you didn't have meetings or anything else planned at this hour, so..."

"...So that's why you came here to bring me this instead of calling." Piper reasons, nodding to herself in understanding as she turns to set the agenda down on her desk.

"What can I say," Alex simply shrugs, flashing another one of her most charming smiles once the blonde turns back to her, arms crossed, leaning against the edge of the desk, head tilted ever so slightly to the side, appeasing her with those curious blue eyes. "Entertain and surprise is what my business is based on after all." _...not to mention that I was afraid you wouldn't have picked up the phone if I called,_ she also thinks to herself, internally sighing.

Piper chuckles at her wit, and that sound is enough to shake Alex out from the reminder of how their previous encounter ended up like.

Because it's a sincere little laugh, not awkward or strained like the nervous one that she's heard slip from the blonde's lips a minute ago when she first came in and caught her off guard.

This time the lines of humor on Piper's features are honest, and a pure delight to see, with the way those eyes crinkle and her nose scrunches up a little bit.

 _She looks oh so very-_

"I didn't know you made office-calls, though." Once more, Piper's voice cuts through her thoughts and whatever else was about to follow, surprising her with a clever quip of her own; a clear sign that she must be regaining some of her composure back from the previous slip brought by the unexpected surprise. Because, besides that and the hint of nervousness, the young businesswoman seems to be genuinely pleased to see her, and Alex couldn't be more glad about deciding to seize the opportunity of the agenda to... drop by.

"I don't, usually," She answers. "Even though some of my employees' clients are into some... _things_."

Piper's eyes narrow with suspicious and a contrasting drop of amusement when, curiously, yet tentatively, she leans forward and, as if anyone could hear them through the walls, she quietly asks, "As in... _weird_ things?"

It's unbelievably endearing.

Especially the way she half-whispers that _"weird"_ part.

It reminds Alex of that night at the club when she first met the young, clearly unexpert woman, and can't help but smile, even though she still feels the need to make known that, personally, "I don't kink-shame."

Because it's true.

Because she wouldn't even have her business in the first place if she ever dared to judge her clients' fetishes and fantasies.

"Sexual exploration can be a self-discovery," She explains. "And testing a limit can lead to some pleasantly surprising and rewarding results."

Alex didn't come here with this in mind.

Well... _not exactly._

But since they have already slipped into the issue...

"All I care about is that it's based on consent and that it's healthy."

She has made sure to stress this last part with the proper weight since that very first night, but she still repeats it once more.

Before her, Piper nods in acknowledgment, and then swallows, visibly, thickly.

"You take your job very seriously." She says, but her voice comes out more a bit rough, more like a thought that has slipped out without consent than an actual comment.

Nonetheless, it's filled with pure admiration, and with an understanding that is met in full by her own profession, by the important position she covers, and how seriously she takes her own business, too.

"All of my employees do." Alex corrects, not holding back the note of pride that seeps in her tone. "We want to make the experience enjoyable in every aspect." She explains with genuineness. "Getting to know the client is an essential part of it. And..."

And it's right here that Alex's voice trails off into a pause. Because this specific string of thoughts was bound to lead her sooner or later to that other reason why she decided to come here this morning beside the purpose of returning the agenda.

"This is also why I came here today... To apologize." She admits, and this time, she is the one who flashes an unusual, nervous little smile to a suddenly newly confused-looking blonde.

"I'm sorry if by presenting you all of those questions yesterday I made you feel uncomfortable, Piper." She sincerely apologizes, but the frown of puzzlement on Piper's face only deepens.

"I shouldn't have ambushed you like that," Alex adds and, just like that, the bewilderment in those clear blue pools is gone, and now the young woman looks truly mortified, which was the last one of Alex's intentions.

"What? No, Alex, please. You... You _didn't_ ambush me." Piper assures her. " _I_ asked you." She stresses. "I was- _am_ curious. But you..." And then, the blonde pauses, sighing, running a hand through that golden hair that to Alex looks so impossibly soft and catches the daylight seeping through the large sliding doors leading to the balcony outside, so beautifully.

"You don't have _anything_ to apologize for. If anything _I_ should."

That statement has Alex blink back into focus, utterly baffled, but before she has her chance to protest, Piper continues, and this time, the most convincing reassurance comes with the little smile that tugs at those rosy lips.

"You never made me feel uncomfortable, Alex." Piper repeats, and there is something in the way her name rolls of her tongue, in the way the young woman looks at her from just beneath her eyelashes, with something resembling shyness, but not quite, that elicits this curious, foreign tingling feeling just behind Alex's sternum.

"Oh..." It's all that she lamely manages to say, too caught off guard by that... _sensation_ , but still managing to recover quickly enough to pay attention when Piper speaks again.

"I just..." The blonde pauses shrugging, awkwardly shifting her weight from one expensive high heel to the other, and Alex wonders where the confident, driven businesswoman that she has seen giving orders around earlier, has taken refuge right now, even though... she definitely doesn't mind one bit the contrast of this display with the one that she has witnessed earlier.

It's actually quite captivating.

"I'm not... _used_ , to talk about _those things_ out loud." She admits, and it's so deeply sincere, so raw in its honesty, that Alex can practically hear the drop of pain in that difficult yet clearly liberating confession.

Alex has never been one to hold anything inside. Honestly, she has never been _able to_ mask her emotions very well.

But the young woman in front of her seems to have been following the socially-acceptable scheme for a long time, and has only recently decided to bravely steer away from that route.

"They have always just been-"

" _Fantasies._ " Alex promptly concludes for her with a knowing little smile, and she didn't mean to interrupt, but she just understands where Piper was going with her speech.

Much to her surprise, this time, the young woman doesn't duck her head, she doesn't try to conceal the openness of her expression. In fact, surprisingly, she even gives up her futile attempts to fight off the blush that has returned once more to scald her cheeks, and just lets it blossom to that alluring shade of pink that suits her so well while looking at her with a contrasting, brave, unwavering gaze.

"Yes." She admits then, and even if the word is spoken so softly, in the stillness of the vast, modern, bright office, Alex still hears her loud and clear.

 _There she is,_ she thinks.

The glimpse of the woman emerging from all those layers that she thought she had caught that first night at the club. But for how much she has appreciated the sight of it back then, seeing it here, in the daylight, in her own environment, it's... even better. It makes it even more authentic perhaps.

It's that exact look what compels Alex to step closer; the conflicting emotions that she can see coming to the surface from the depth of those rippling blue pools.

She is drawn to them with the same urge that she feels in reassuring the young woman.

"There is no shame, or reason to feel embarrassment in admitting something you would like to try, or explore more deeply." She says, calmly, yet with nothing but solid conviction as she takes another little step closer towards the blonde, whose limpid, intrigued blue gaze remains so encouragingly locked with hers.

"If you are worried about judgment, you won't find any with me or in my business." She assures. "Whether you decide to become a client or not."

Alex had already started to feel it earlier. Prickling lightly at first. Like a subtle tingle that has grown into this... this _warmth_ , that seems to be surrounding her all of a sudden.

But now, as she concludes, coming to a halt barely two feet away from the blonde, she suddenly feels it even more pronounced.

Considering how cold it is outside today the heating system must be on here in the office, she reasons, and she is still wearing her coat after all...

But that wouldn't explain how that... feeling, seems to seep under her skin and pool in the space between her chest and stomach, reaching deep enough to make her heart stutter out of its rhythm for a couple of beats.

"How you do it?"

Still a bit dazed by that... foreign sensation curling inside her, Alex shakes her head, vainly trying to regain her attentive, confident demeanor back, frowning apologetically at the question. "I'm sorry?"

She really hopes that being caught off guard and distracted for that split second won't make Piper retract once more as well, because that would be like erasing all the progress that they have made in the past few minutes, but, luckily, it seems like the young businesswoman is still quite curious, and most important, even more encouraged after all of her reassurances, enough to ask her, "How do you... act... on something you want to try out?"

It still clearly takes a lot of effort for her to ask such question though, and yet, at the same time, it's like by asking it she also grows less... intimidated, and much lighter, by what must be the weight of her own concerns and limits pressing down onto her.

"How would you... approach... someone who is totally unexpert and curious to experience something... _different_?"

It appears like Piper has assumed that the clients frequenting her club are all at some advanced level. Which is not an entirely wrong assumption actually. Most of them do sign a contract with a clear idea in mind of what they want, but Alex does understand the concern, why it might have the young woman so hesitant and why, by extent, that feeling has brought her to flee from her office halfway through the questionnaire the previous day.

There is that same contrasting vulnerability in that look right now. But the curiosity that she has just voiced out loud so bravely, and that Alex has spotted the very first night they met while she was showing her one of the private rooms, is still there.

Burning so fiercely.

Without even realizing it, drawn to that flickering flame of curiosity, Alex finds herself taking another step closer.

But the awareness of that slow, unconscious approach from her part, hits her immediately, as she catches the first whiff of Piper's perfume in the air.

That... something... that has pooled warmth somewhere deep inside her belly, flips, jumping and stuttering halfway up her chest, almost making her own breathing catch in her throat when she inhales that fragrance.

So simple and fresh.

Delicately flowery.

Light and refined and with just the right amount of a pleasant and not overwhelming sweetness thread with gentle notes of bergamot and a hidden hint of something sharper, bolder, and a bit more aromatic, like galbanum.

A counterbalancing contrast, an alluring complexity that suits so perfectly the young woman who wears it.

It throws Alex a little off balance for a moment, and it takes her a bit longer to recover from that unexpected but oh so welcomed distraction.

"It... It depends." It's what she manages to say once she feels like she has regained enough of her composure back. The words come out barely like a breathed whisper though, and she is only distantly aware of how her own voice has suddenly grown that little bit deeper and huskier.

"When I first started, if something seemed too much for me to dive right into, I would break down the fantasy in small parts." She reveals. "Take it in little steps, and find the closest, most simple alternative to that practice I wanted to experience in full."

It's like talking of a lifetime ago. It's been s _o_ long since she has, personally, followed such advice, mostly because she's always prefered to be the one to satisfy fantasies instead of being the one at the receiving end - nonetheless, she does believe that such method is still the most simple and healthy to approach a practice that can appear like _too much_ for someone new to this whole world filled with infinite possibilities.

To just... _take it slow._

Because, after all, "Thoughts and fantasies are so much less intimidating once broken down into pieces."

"Even just saying it out loud to yourself can work." She continues. "Saying something that frightens us out loud takes some of its power away."

It's only when she concludes and noticed the way the blue pools of Piper's eyes have gotten darker, deeper, that she is reminded once more of their proximity, which seems to have grown even closer while she was talking. But it's actually the stillness of the silence surrounding them, allowing her to hear how the blonde's breathing has become slightly uneven, in the way it usually does when, paradoxically enough, someone is trying so hard to keep it under control - that Alex becomes aware of what kind of impact this closeness is having on the blonde.

It's not discomfort. Of that she is sure. Because Piper isn't retreating or trying to seek for space. She stands just as tall as herself, unweavering despite those shaky nerves.

And Alex is immensely glad, because the last thing she wants, especially after how things went down the previous day in her office, is to risk making her feel trapped, cornered, even though... She is not sure that tearing herself away from this feeling that only keeps beckoning her closer to the young woman would be easy.

This specific dynamic is very familiar, it flares in her mind, makes her dig into a memory that she feels like she has already lived, but she hasn't, even though she has already seen before the look that Piper is giving her. The way those eyes scan her face before shifting lower to her lips, swallowing, tongue briefly, discretely darting out to wet her own.

And this time, Alex _knows_.

Last time she found herself in this exactly reversed position and situation she can't believe she had missed the signs.

But now she sees them all. One by one in their obviousness under the subtedly.

And she can _feel it,_ as well, in the air.

The way it's charged with that unmistakable, exquisite, dangerous thrilling tension of anticipation that has goosebumps erupt on her skin, still so contrastingly warm though, and prickling with that feeling that is still there, now stirring in the depths of her stomach.

The warmth pooled there seeps into her veins, coursing through her system, making her fingertips tingle with something electric that almost turns into a pure shock running up her spine like a fuse when Piper voices the confirmation of her suspicion.

"I would really like to kiss you now."

There.

That elegantly smooth voice is barely above a breath, but hearing her uttering those words, that... _wish_ , even if so softly, still has its effect.

It's _that_ something about the tone, the quality of her voice, the honesty in her unwavering gaze thread with that same self-imposed although now weakened restraint that keeps holding her back what makes something in Alex's chest slams, hard, against her ribcage.

Because there is no hesitation in that statement, or the slightest trace of doubt in that look.

None of that endearing, awkward stammering, or furious blushing tinging her cheeks. And Alex, despite having sensed this, is still caught a little by surprise.

A part of her feels this need to ask the young woman if she is saying that out loud because she is scared of such thing, if she feels intimidated by her, if she said that because it's related to her own previous speech about uttering out loud whatever frightened her, but... right now, Piper is displaying only courage.

A kind of bravery that Alex wouldn't have expected to find with such firm resolution after the way she fled, stammering, without looking back just the previous day from her office.

And so, instead of asking any of those questions that hold the interrogative about the blonde's perception of her, Alex finds herself uttering the one that has been lingering in her mind since the previous day, since she saw the result of that half-completed questionnaire and saw all the potential, all the possibilities it held.

"What is holding you back?"

There is the truest, most honest curiosity, but nothing pressing or demanding in such inquiry.

She asks the question mostly because she wants Piper to repeat it and answer it in that safe space that she keeps inside herself, than for Alex's own need to actually hear it out loud.

The young woman just watches her, a bit mesmerized, clearly a bit nervous, too, but still unwilling to waver. Fiercely fighting against those emotions that have made her bolt, refusing to give in for the second time.

The composed businesswoman appearance that Alex has noticed earlier in the conference room is still there, but it has started to crumble, enough to allow her to see the woman underneath; part of which she has already seen a glimpse of, and another part that Alex is not sure she can properly name or even accurately describe upon seeing it for the first time.

She just... looks so attractively strong in her vulnerability. Torn between two opposed ends, but struggling to dare herself and pull towards one specific direction. One she seems to find herself yanking forcefully towards and break that final ring of a rusty restraint that has been holding her back out of uncertainty or whatever other feeling of inappropriateness that has most likely mingled in her rampant thoughts.

A spoken answer never comes.

Even though Alex was no longer expecting for one either.

At this point, there is just one or two ways this is heading for now.

And for how endearing it would be (besides, of course, more than just a little disappointing) this time, upon glancing at this newer, hidden yet more daring side of the young woman, she doesn't expect her to flee from her own office by making up another excuse.

But it is only when Piper, so boldly, summoning some of that confidence that seems, after all, to be part of her authentic core, only in that heartbeat of space that precedes the inevitable, only in that moment Alex realizes and admits to herself that she hadn't dared to hope for it.

Because there was that additional, not-fully conscious motivation to the reasons that brought her here today with the excuse of the agenda and her sincere intent in apologizing.

She didn't mean to give anything more than a gentle nudge of encouragement with no pressure. A nudge that was only meant to be delivered with a few words and a few words only.

But now...

Now Alex can feel as that motivation (even though her intentions were sincere and thoughtful) collapses on itself in the instant that follows, when a hand slips on the back of her neck and Piper both steps forward and gently pulls her closer to meet her halfway, erasing the space keeping them apart with the softest, warmest pressure of lips against her own.

She knew it was coming.

Alex has always considered herself to be a perceptive, attentive, very observant woman.

But...

Even though she is not completely caught off guard, she is definitely not one bit prepared for the turmoil of sensations that break loose inside her upon feeling that first, simplest brush of Piper's lips against hers.

Both tentative and confident.

Eager yet patient.

That feeling... that _thing_ , that has taken residence in the cavity of her chest, expands, while her stomach clenches and flips the way it does on an airplane when taking off, her spine tingles with the shiver that travels through her entire body, raising goosebumps in their wake that, paradoxically enough, make her skin burn hot.

But none of those sensations elicited from the sudden and yet predicted gesture that all of a sudden seems to defy physic itself, are enough to freeze Alex in place for more than a couple of seconds.

Soon enough she regains her balance and responds back with purpose, slowly but surely, bringing the blonde closer to herself, and seeking for entrance along the seal of those impossibly soft lips with the tip of her tongue, and when Piper grants it, immediately, and oh so eagerly, parting them in invitation, Alex gets swallowed in the sweet, heated inside of her mouth.

And from there... it's fire.

 **. . .**

If asked, Piper wouldn't be able to say what, exactly, is that thought, or feeling that, ultimately, has given her the extra dangerous push that has encouraged her to do what she just did.

Recklessness has never been a part of her.

Not when she was a little kid, and definitely not now that she is an adult and runs her business with diligence and responsibility.

But... She wouldn't be honest with herself if she said that she hasn't caught that glimpse of _something_ in the raven haired-woman, a detail in her confident demeanor that has attracted her so magnetically to such an intriguing presence since the first moment she laid eyes on her that night at the club, at the bar counter.

And it seems like that intrigue that she has only felt grow ever since, and from which she has turned away out of a temporary spike of panic just the day before, has gotten the better on her and made her throw caution to the wind in such a spectacular fashion.

There's nothing that has possessed her, took her own control away from her hands and bent it to its will.

It might be the power of persuasion of Alex's carefully chosen words, that charming, sly smile, those impossibly alluring, enchanting green eyes, that exquisite deep, slightly husky voice, or even that mouth-watering scent of hers; an utterly intoxicating blend of orange blossoms and blackberries laced with that subtle, fresh note of white musk that she has caught in the air when Alex has stepped closer to her - the thing that, ultimately, has made her cave in and just... claim those lips she has been staring at, nibbling at the inside of her own, while Alex was talking.

 _No_. It was _her_ own choice.

There are no claws of doubt sinking in her mind as she deepens the kiss.

No churning in her stomach as she slips her fingers through that thick, luscious dark mane to bring her closer.

And there definitely isn't the slightest shade of regret hovering over her impulsive action.

If anything, under her own shock for actually surging forward like this and - for once - being so daring, giving in to that whim, she feels so blissfully unrestrained from whatever grasp had been holding her hostage, trapped within her own shaky nerves since she saw Alex, here, standing in her office, with that amused little smile and those expressive, piercing, stunning emerald eyes that seem to have the power to see right through her with a single glance.

It's deeply unsettling. But also freeing, almost exhilarating actually, thrilling and consuming all at once.

 _Alex was right_ , she thinks, _something has been holding her back..._

Although, the mix of emotions swirling inside her is not what overwhelms her.

It's not what makes her chest swell, her head spin, and her whole body feel weightless, as if experiencing a sudden lack of gravity and the only thing keeping her grounded are the soft, plump lips pressed against her own and the hands that come to rest on her waist, holding her close and enveloping her into that compelling warmth emanating from that strong body with gorgeous, soft, feminine curves when her legs lose some of their steadiness and buckle beneath her.

Self-consciousness, embarrassment or any other second thought she might have had in the instant of stillness that has followed as soon as she has pressed her lips against the raven-haired woman's, have disappeared into nothing.

Whatever lingering doubt was left, has melted with the heat of Alex's mouth once she has responded back to the kiss a heartbeat later with just as much ardor, almost as if... a part of her expected it.

And from there, all she's been able to feel, is the lightheadedness coming to mingle with the rest of the sensations coursing through her entire system and overloading her senses.

A moan rises from her chest. A strangled, muffled sound that she tries to suppress in the back of her throat, but Alex still hears it, and promptly, greedily, swallows it, just like she makes sure to step forward and hold her upright when she feels her legs threatening to give in. And the feeling of her pressed so close, even just the feeling of being _held_...

God...

Piper can't honestly remember the last time someone has held her like this, so carefully yet firmly. Or last time she has felt this boiling urge to kissed anyone with such fervor. And the taste that she finds on the warm inside of her mouth is what makes her all the more enthusiastic.

Because Alex tastes of tea, and something sweet, something spicy. Like cinnamon and ginger and clover honey.

It's light and familiar.

If a taste can make anyone feel cozy and welcomed in a kiss so passionate in its nature, it truly could be that one for Piper.

A light flavor that soothes with its familiarity, and at the same time, it fuels her to seek for more.

Guided by that instinct, she cups Alex's cheek in order to bring her closer and deepen the kiss to sample some more of that oh so simple and yet so addictive flavor, and Alex, much to her delight, groans in approval in her mouth at the new spike of boldness.

Paradoxically, being so bold makes standing up that much more challenging though.

But it's only an impression, because Alex is right there, holding her securely up, and upon feeling all those points of contact with the raven-haired woman's body, some _other_ parts of _her_ own body can't help but... start reacting as well.

Her legs grow even weaker, and for how hard she tries to hold herself up by leaning onto Alex's strong, seemingly unyielding frame, her knees still buckle dangerously, this time threatening to make her collapse, for good, under her own weight.

She is not even one bit surprised, and definitely not at all disappointed when Alex sensed this and steps even closer, positively pressing their bodies flush against the other's, their curves fitting together in a way that shouldn't be so perfect above the thick coat that she is still wearing, and yet it is.

But for how perfect and fitting it feels, it's almost nothing compared to when Alex's hands, those strong, firm, yet soft hands that have been resting on her waist and the small of her back, just where her skirt meets the hem of the shirt tucked inside it, start to drift lower.

 _Much_ lower.

They travel confidently on the back of her thighs, and just the feeling of them sliding through the layer of clothes is enough to make Piper shiver and gasp breathily onto Alex's mouth.

An interruption of the kiss that is no close near enough to allow reality to come crashing onto her and break the moment with the sober realization of what they are actually doing. If anything, in the instant she feels those hands there on her thighs give a little tug, urging her up, Piper doesn't certainly have to think twice to interpret that.

She completes the movement herself, instinctively, taking that step backward towards the desk to sit on the edge of it, one hand blindly reaching behind her to move aside some of the papers laying there and brace herself on the flat surface, while she uses the other one to urge Alex closer.

Maybe it's the position, the even more intimate nature of the gesture and the naturalness, the ease, with which they have moved as one, or the fact of having Alex step right between her parted legs what makes the kiss grows a bit deeper and hungrier, enough to match the pulse stirring with more insistence in her lower abdomen; an unmistakable throb that Piper recognizes for what it is. Desire.

Maybe Alex senses it too, especially considering the not-so-subtle way her hips are already trying to lift and cant towards her, searching for friction, something. _Anything_. Or maybe the raven-haired woman is just following her own need when one of her hands find its glorious way on the inside of her thigh, sneaking beneath her skirt with a touch that from light and exploratory suddenly feels like something much more purposeful and direct with what seems to be a very clear destination in mind.

And Piper is on the verge of begging her, but there is no way in hell she is severing that kiss for not even a second, even if it could mean passing out due to lack of air.

She doesn't need it.

She has been starving from something like this for so, so much longer. She is doing just splendidly with taking occasional hot puffs of breaths against Alex's lips.

Hadn't she taken the chance and been so reckless, she wouldn't even know how glorious this would have felt, and honestly, now that she _does_ know, she isn't sure whether this fast development is either good or bad.

Because it's all s _o_ much already. Her senses are on fire, her mind is overflowing with thoughts, emotions and sensation winding together and threatening to overwhelm her. And yet... the rest of her body is telling her a whole other story.

That... feeling... unfurling in her lower belly especially, linked to that painful throb that echoes at the apex of her thighs, seems to be in full disagreement, and won't take anything less than _more_.

The primal component in her need is vicious. She can barely keep it at bay with the feral way it pulls and trashes inside her. And with the way Alex's fingertips brush up the inside of her thigh, it only keeps teasing that dangerous beast, just like it does the deeper, delighted groan that she hears rumble inside her chest, making Piper shudder all over again as the raven-haired woman finds the lace band of her stockings further up her thigh. And now Piper _knows_.

She has the confirmation that she did not imagine seeing that emerald gaze linger on her legs earlier when she stepped out from behind her desk.

A tiny piece of information that she preciously archives, and a discovery that thrills her as much as the feeling of that hand moving further up, nails scraping against the fragile material of her stockings, delicately, and yet with enough purpose to make her gasp in Alex's mouth and buck against the desk.

There is no restraining that need, doesn't matter how hard she tries, one way or another Alex only keeps eliciting a string of reactions from her with even the simplest gesture, like the way she nibbles for a moment of her lower lip only to soothe the sting there with her tongue afterwards, or the way she cradles her jaw and lets her fingers slip through her hair, sending tiny sparks of electricity through her scalp and down her spine that only add to that tight spring coil of arousal that seems about ready to snap inside her.

And when, finally, those fingers finally brush against her bare skin, barely an inch away from the band of her panties at the juncture of her thigh, Piper's isn't sure if she can take it. Her heart is ready to burst, skin is burning with anticipation, pulse jumping in her throat, and legs parting even further as an ultimate, greedy invitation.

Maybe she is way too lost, but she could swear that she feels Alex's lips twitch into a smirk in front of such a shameless offer.

But even if she didn't imagine it, she truly couldn't find it in her to be embarrassed for being so... enthusiastic in welcoming her so _openly_. Everything inside her, surrounding her, is spinning and throbbing and burning with that same consuming need that she has felt igniting inside her since the moment she has dared to take the kiss she has been yearning for.

It's her own naivety, however, that brought her to believe that by satisfying that need, she wouldn't have felt the urgency to experience anything else, anything _more_ \- and that it would have been enough for her.

She should have known better. But she'll have to reprimand herself another time, however, because those deviously teasing fingers brush against the lace band of her panties, and Piper promptly traps her there, urging Alex fully against her by letting her hand slide down the perfect firm roundness of her backside, but then, just when Alex is about to tug her underwear aside, and Piper's heart feels pretty much like it might be about to break through the cage holding it in her chest to escape the heat that is making her whole body to combust from the inside...

She hears it.

That tapping-like noise.

Something in the recesses of her fuzzy mind, something that hasn't been miraculously completely swallowed by the consuming need that has taken over any other rational thought - stands on alert. Like an alarm going off.

She frowns as that sound, so distant that at first it seems like coming from underwater, reaches her for a second time from afar, digging under the mix of ringing and the insisting thumping of her heart in her ears and _knocking_ at the doors of her consciousness.

 _"Miss Chapman?"_

And it's in that instant that she recognizes it for what it is.

The knocking on the frosted glass of her office doors!

The sound, much clearer and loud this time accompanied by the unmistakable voice of her assistant coming from the hallway, makes both her and Alex jump apart from each other, startling her to attention, like jumping awake from one of those dreams where she's freefalling down to earth from the sky.

Her stomach even twists and flips in that same way, with an awfully similar sense of trepidation.

The abrupt interruption is cruel. Being torn away like this from something so blissful it's actually almost brutal, especially since she was nowhere near close to wanting to end that kiss on her own, to have Alex step away from her like she does oh so respectfully, leaving her cold and aching... and interrupt for good whatever else was going to come next.

Every inch of her body screams in protest. The sudden lack of warmth from that body that has been pressed against hers just a heartbeat before, makes her shiver.

Her vision is a bit blurry, and as she tries to regain it by blinking away the haze that has followed her on her descent, the first sight that comes into view, is the one of Alex's gorgeous face.

Her lips, those impossibly soft and kissable rosy lips, now so prettily swollen due to their passionate kissing, are curled into a light smile that reaches her sparkling green eyes, now so dark and devoid of gold but veiled, even if subtly, by the same disappointment that is eating Piper from the inside.

Piper's lips part, but no sound comes out, unsure about what to say, and before she can get a chance to come up with something, anything that won't just leave her there gaping, the knocking on her office door and the voice of her assistant echoes once more from the hallway.

 _"Miss Chapman, may I come in?"_

"It seems like duty is calling you." Alex regains her voice much quicker, speaking barely above a whisper though, so softly, yet deep and husky and sultry and absolutely _everything_ that Piper doesn't need to hear right now if she wants to have a chance in fighting off the heat boiling inside of her.

"Just..." Her own voice comes out like a breathed husk at first and she has to swallow a few times in order to get rid of the pulse in her throat and regain some of her composure back. "Just a moment, please!" She calls towards the door.

Still unable (and unwilling) to take her eyes off of Alex, she doesn't miss the way the raven-haired woman ducks her head, trying to mask the little smile twitching at her lips by pretending to adjust her glasses.

In her haste, though, when she moves to slide down from where she is still perched on the edge of her desk, she forgets about the lack of strength clinging to the muscles in her legs, and almost ends up stumbling as soon as her feet hit the ground.

But, once again, Alex is right there.

Promptly catching her in her arms with the quickest reflexes before she can actually trip over her own heels.

She gasps at the impact, and just like that, the warmth is back, enveloping her, but, at the same time, also igniting from somewhere inside her, too.

She feels it in her belly, spreading up in her chest, scalding the skin of her neck and tinging her cheeks once she glances up at Alex and sees how the little smile on her face has widened, just the tiniest bit, but enough to be noticeable with that unmistakable curl of soft amusement.

"Careful, kid." She practically breathes, still oh so softly, in the small space they find themselves sharing once again.

The term of endearment catches Piper by surprise, and she isn't prepared for it as much as she isn't prepared for the way her heart flutters upon hearing it.

She wants to thank her, for helping her stand up and regain her balance, but summoning her voice seems to be a lost cause with the way her heartbeat has resumed thrumming in her throat, both for the close proximity, and for having plunged right back into the depth of those sparkling emerald lakes.

It's then that Alex's hand reaches up, cupping her cheek and brushing the pad of her thumb over her bottom lip to wipe away what is most definitely a smudge left by her lipstick from their rather ardent kiss.

For a moment, Piper's eyes flutter shut at that feather-light touch, opening only when she feels Alex steps away once more.

"I'll leave you to your work." It's all the raven-haired woman says then, offering her a softer smile that strikes her even harder than the previous one, because this one is laced with something akin to disappointment in its politeness. The same kind that Piper immediately feels herself, growing tenfolds in knowing that they have to part ways after... all that just happened.

"Should you change your mind about what we discussed..." Alex adds. "You know where to find me."

And with the turmoil of emotions and sensations still coursing through her system and overwhelming her mind, Piper can't do anything.

She is just left there, still unable to move - and doesn't even dare to, not knowing if her legs would keep her up as soon as she would let go of the edge of the desk where she is still bracing against.

She doesn't even offer a nod in understanding, or have a chance to find her voice and say a single word, still trying to piece together and let sink in fully what has actually happened in the past couple of minutes, and, to be completely honest, way too distracted by the sight of Alex flashing her another one of those smiles - which doesn't help one bit with the weakness in her legs - before diverting her gaze.

Despite her temporary inability to do pretty much anything, Piper does notice that fleeting look that crosses her gorgeous features as she does so. But she is still way too dazed, still linked to that feeling making her lips tingle with warmth, her chest heave with shaky breaths, her lungs burn and her core clench on itself with protest and that painful, aching sense of unfulfillment, to fully catch and properly recognize that look for... whatever it is, there on the spot, before Alex simply turns on her heels and walks towards the doors of the office with that same trademark confidence in her steps and posture that Piper has seen her wear so flawlessly and carry so elegantly.

She might even envy it right now given her stunned state, the general shakiness, and how staggering she still feels on her own feet.

She would have even stared at her retreating figure, at those hips, at that firm, round, perfectly toned backside. She would have remained there to piece together her thoughts and allow her body to properly recover, but she is abruptly brought back to the spinning world with a sense of vertigo when the frosted glass doors open and, as Alex steps outside, her assistant comes into view.

Piper seizes the occasion (with extreme difficulty) of them exchanging a brief glance in the doorway (or rather of Alex offering one of her polite smiles, and chivalrously holding the door open, as her assistant returns a grateful, slightly flustered smile of her own laced with more than a hint of confusion in front of that new face before Alex leaves), to hastily adjust her shirt, smooth out the wrinkles on her skirt, and put in some resemblance of order a few paper that she has accidentally creased under her weight when Alex lifted her up and onto the desk.

And God... just the fresh reminder of it almost makes her-

"Is everything all right, Miss Chapman?"

Luckily, before her mind has a chance to plunge back into that memory, her assistant interrupts her, closing the door and stepping further into the office to approach the desk, locking Alex outside the room but not from her mind, where she and everything that has happened in the past ten minutes are still the main presence.

"S-sure, of course." Piper offers in answer, nodding reassuringly and plastering a smile on her face, only to frown in confusion when she instinctively takes the papers extended to her.

"What's this?"

Her assistant gives her an equally puzzled look.

"Uh, these are the reports you asked for." She dutifully supplies. "From the marketing team downstairs?"

 _Oh..._

"Right..." Piper nods as she scans the papers, still frowning, not remembering at all why she asked for them and what she needed them for, and it seems like her furrowed expression combined with her still shaky hands and clearly flustered appearance, are more than enough to give away her current, not-quite-recovered state.

"Are you feeling well, Miss Chapman?" Her young assistant politely inquires.

 _Well_ isn't the first word on the list that Piper would use right now, but she still flashes that same forced smile as she answers with what she hopes is not a too vague, "It's nothing. Just a bit tired, that's all."

The short-haired brunette nods. "Of course," She replies, not sounding or looking one bit convinced, but, thankfully, out of respect (although clearly hesitant) she decides not to insist, and just simply adds an accommodating, "Let me know if you need anything else."

With her sincere thanks, Piper dismisses her still very puzzled and more-than-slightly concerned assistant, only deflating and taking what seems to be the first proper sip of air in over ten minutes once the doors to her office click shut behind the brunette.

Her exhale is as shaky as her legs still feel when, carefully, she returns to her seat behind the desk in front of her opened laptop and documents neatly piled up, but focusing on any work-related task soon turns out to be a tough challenge, one she struggles against for the rest of the day.

The fact that Polly has decided to go take a first look to what might turn out being one of their new series of shops outside the city while she offered to be the one to hold up the fort for the day, is just a very lucky coincidence. One that is most likely never going to happen for a second time.

She doesn't even dare to imagine what it would be like having to put the effort of appearing casual in front of her best friend right now considering the tumult that is still rocking inside her. Or worst, if she had been the one to walk into her and Alex while-

Her mind keeps constantly drifting back to that kiss. To the infinite softness she found on those lips, to the patient strokes of that tongue along hers, the taste of her mouth, to the intoxicating scent of Alex's skin, but most of all, to that hand that had come so, so close to where her need was starting to pulse to life.

But what is even more distracting than that kiss, and what keeps her squirming in her seat unable to pay attention on anything for long, is the tight pressure that has formed a knot in her lower belly and has been throbbing at the apex of her thighs.

Even now she can feel it.

Because even though Alex didn't have the chance to touch her, her body was getting... _ready._

The stickiness clinging to her expensive lace underwear makes her feel uncomfortable for more than just one reason.

She can't help but wonder what would have happened if her assistant hadn't knocked and interrupted them.

 _Would have Alex...?_

The only question Piper doesn't have to ask herself, is if she would have allowed that to actually happen, right there, on her desk, scattered with papers.

Because, for how impulsive and inappropriate and unprofessional on so many levels, despite this being mainly Alex's business, everything about the brief moment that they have shared has felt...

She doesn't have an appropriate word to describe it.

 _Good_ seems to be too little, and _right_ is maybe too much.

But... Something in between.

Something like...following an easy _instinct._

The dynamic she has fallen into with the raven-haired woman in those few, wonderful minutes has felt... effortless.

The adrenaline pumping in her veins for the recklessness, maybe even the distant knowledge that they were in her office, after all, might have played a part in making it all the more alluring. And for how spontaneous it has been, her judgment wasn't so clouded under the haze that had lifted once she has drawn Alex into that kiss, that she wouldn't have been able to deny it, mostly - to be honest - to herself.

She can practically picture how it might have developed from there. From the exact moment they got interrupted...

Eventually, after a few failed attempts to lay down a draft for the business about a possible investment in one of their newest products, she decides, for once, to leave the office at a reasonable hour and get home, something that pleases her partner as much as it makes her suspicious when she calls with updates.

But it's only when Piper steps into her way too big, dark, and always so empty loft, and she undresses and gets under the shower with the hope that it will help her get rid of those sensations still clinging to her bones and sticking - quite literally - to her skin, that she finds some resemblance of relief...

When her hand, after an entire day spent with that unbearable ache gnawing at her from the inside, decides to slips below her navel on its own accord.

She doesn't have the willpower to resist it, or even has a reason to.

Usually, the few times she indulges herself in this, the other person in her imagination doesn't have a face, doesn't have a name, most of the times it doesn't even have a gender.

It's just this blank figure that her mind creates and moves at the command of what her desire demands from her in that specific moment.

But tonight...

Tonight that figure has a gender. And a very specific appearance, too.

She lets her head fall forward under the warm spray of the shower, eyes closed as her mind pieces together long black hair, alabaster skin, intriguing emerald eyes sprinkled with precious flecks of gold, an equally intriguing smile, and a touch that is as soft as it is confident in its exploration.

A touch that she tries to replicate, with the same patience and contrasting eagerness made of both softness and firmness that has made her legs go weak, her insides clench with want, and... that same _something_ in her chest flutter oh so gloriously.

She wonders how it would have felt more _intimately._ If those fingers had just moved aside the lateral band of her panties and just...

The first breathed moan falls from her lips like a gasp, this time with no censorship to suppress the sound that lifts and mingles with the steam rising all around her by the hot water as the surrounding of the bathroom grows more and more foggy, blurred, while the images flashing in sequence behind her closed eyes become all the more vivid.

The kiss comes flooding back from her memory in all its bright colors, making her shiver even under the hot spray of the shower, head tilted down, lips parted as the hand at the apex of her thighs moves accordingly to the demand of that desire that has seeped into her bones since this morning.

She braces herself against the wall, nails scratching harmlessly against the tiles as she dares the hand between her legs to pick up a slightly faster rhythm.

The water washes away some of her arousal, but it only gets replaced by a new gush ever couple of strokes of her fingers across that hard bundle of nerves nestled between her folds, enough to allow her to go lower and finally surrender, letting her mind run wild until the water of the shower runs cold.

But for how hard and diligently she tries, there is no relief waiting for her, the ache seems to be still there, knotted just as tightly in the depth of her belly.

She cups her sex and could actually sob for how deeply frustrating it feels; this throbbing that simply won't vanish. Not even the water, long run cold, is of no help in extinguishing that burning need.

And, somehow, Piper knows that, as long as those images in her head keep playing, as long as that unfulfilled fantasy involving the raven-haired woman in her office pressing her against her desk, her own hand is never going to be the one that will satisfy her.

She thinks about Alex, about what she told her regarding fantasies and taking small steps and maybe...

Maybe she is more ready than she wasn't aware she was. Today she has proven that to herself.

So maybe, after all, it's time that she summons the same boldness that she has embraced this morning and sit down with Alex to discuss something they both live for.

Business.

* * *

 **This chapter took some energies. It was long but also kind of intense for me to write, lol. I had pictured it much shorter, but when I just start to think about these two sharing a first kiss, even in another universe, well... I simply can't contain myself :P I even thought about splitting the chapters in two parts, because I didn't want to make you wait too long, and interrupt it at the kiss with Alex's POV, but then I thought, "Nah, lets go ahead and have Vauseman make out on Piper's desk, almost have sex on it, before they get interrupted by her assistant. Yeah, this will make the readers so much happier" :D I know. I'm a tease...**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone!

So, it seems like you guys are really enjoying the torturous slow burn, uh? That is _so_ good to know, lol ;)

I'm so very happy that you have liked the previous chapter. Like I said, it was a bit challenging to write, but getting all of your awesome responses about it reassured some lingering doubt I might still have had. So thank you so much for all of your kindness guys! :D

About this chapter... I already know you aren't going to like a very specific part of this, but please, keep in mind that even if this is a Vauseman story, these two aren't "a thing" yet... so... yeah, try not to hate me too much for this scene I've decided to insert, okay? :P

Anyway, enough rambling, I'll leave you to it :)

Enjoy

* * *

Alex loses her balance and barely manages to brace herself on the soft surface of the bed with her elbow, leaning forward, surrendering to some of that exertion that is starting to settle in, and taking the chance to regain her breathing.

Despite the tiredness that she feels however, testified by the thin layer of sweat shimmering on her naked body, the ache that she feels in her muscles, especially the one in her forearm and wrist, is very familiar and... satisfying. Rewarding even.

As is the sight of the woman beneath her, still twitching and shuddering, as she helps her ride through the last few waves of one particularly intense, crashing orgasm.

Alex can still feel those inner walls fluttering, clenching, more and more weakly though, around her fingers. She wiggles them some more inside that slick, heated, tightening space, and smirks when the gesture earns her another shudder and a throaty groan from the woman beneath her.

"Jesus, Vause," Sylvia pants, breathlessly, bringing a hand up to her face to move aside a few sweat-slick strands of red hair from her own forehead. "What's gotten into you tonight?"

Gray eyes finally blink open and, even in the darkness of the night swallowing the bedroom, they still find the green pools of hers immediately, with that dazed look of exhaustion and utter satisfaction that makes them shimmer like silver.

Alex tilts her head to the side at the question, eyes narrowing with teasing suspicion.

"Is that a complaint?"

Sylvia scoffs a laugh that has the characteristical edge of euphoric laced onto it that someone usually tends to experience when there is an intoxicating cocktail of adrenaline and endorphins winding through their system after an exceptionally intense orgasm.

The redhead though still shakes her head at the question and reaches out with one hand, slipping her fingers through Alex's raven hair.

"I would never." She answers in a low purr. "But I definitely would like to take my turn with you now to show you my appreciation for such thorough attentions."

Alex's teasing smirk widens that tiny bit more. "Would you now?"

Something in Sylvia's gaze, however, softens. The smile on her lips does as well, turning more... affectionate than flirtatious, just like the hand now cupping her cheek.

And even if Alex notices it, and feels the way those fingers trace the side of her face, the line of her jaw oh so slowly... she doesn't give it that much importance. Being post-coital does... _things_ , to people after all, but Alex, on her part, is still feeling quite playful, and just decides to keep up with her teasing instead for a little longer.

"Are you sure?" She asks skeptically. "Because I don't think you are done here yet..."

To make her point, she starts moving her hand once more, pulling her fingers out only to thrust them back in, and even if she does so with a thoughtful carefulness considering the redhead's recovering state, the reaction is quite powerful and immediate.

Silver eyes flutter shut and roll back, rosy lips part, a shuddering moan tumbling past them as the quivering walls surrounding her fingers clench, tightly, holding her inside.

"Fuck." Sylvia moans. "As long as you keep touching me like this I don't think I'll ever be done, Alex."

It was probably meant to come out like a warning, but to Alex's ears, the breathlessness in the redhead's voice, and the encouraging way those inner muscles start fluttering around her again with more purpose, coaxing her to move, that statement sounds more like an incitement to keep going.

The choice, however, is taken away from her when she sees those gray eyes flutter open again and, even with just the dim blue glow of the moon to provide illumination it's hard to miss the darker, more determined shade those reflecting gray lakes have changed into.

It serves as a warning. And it also works as one, since Alex is not _that much_ surprised when, in the blink of an eye, Sylvia's legs wrap around her waist, her hands come to rest on her shoulders, pushing, flipping her over until Alex finds herself laying flat on her back onto the mattress with her fingers still buried inside the redhead now straddling her hips.

And, even though Alex isn't particularly fond of this particular position, she still appreciates the show of initiative. She knows that Sylvia certainly has never been shy to it, or even to take what she wants when teased right on the edge. All things considered, if she really wanted to, Alex could still fight back for her previous position, pin the redhead beneath her and just... keep going, just like she felt this... this itching _urge_ to do so for all day long for some reason that remains just that inch out of her reach for her to be able to grasp it.

It would be effortless reversing this dynamic, but the feeling of those soft, slick, ridged inner walls fluttering and sliding along her fingers as Sylvia lifts her hips and rides her, not to mention the view offered by this new position where the dim, yet flattering light of the moon puts on a more appropriate display those full, firm, round breasts, caressing its way down that flat, toned abdomen, and accentuating the curves of those supple hips, is all... quite distracting.

Alex can't help but smile, smirk actually, again, with that drop of mischief, when she presses her fingers in deeper and a throaty groan promptly tumbles from the redhead's lips along with a shudder that travels through her entire body and makes her involuntarily scratch Alex's stomach.

Blunt nails dig into Alex's flesh with enough force to make her hiss through a smirk, leaving reddish imprints standing out on her alabaster skin.

"You look like you are enjoying yourself," Alex observes rather cockily.

Those silver eyes glow even brighter, and upon seeing that flash of desire Alex realizes that her chance to admire and take delight in the perfect body on top of hers has come to an end, even before Sylvia replies to her comment with that same unyielding determination held in her voice.

"Oh, I'm going to _so much more_ when I'll get my tongue between your legs and go down on you until you can no longer move."

And, even if something along those lines was kind of expected, a low groan still slips past Alex's lips.

Because Sylvia knows her _too well._

She knows she could never resist a proposition like that, the explicitness in it, or, even less, the promise of the compelling, blissful, enveloping moist warmth on her sex that only a talented mouth can bring.

Reluctantly, after rocking forward with her hips one last time, Sylvia dismounts her, leaving her fingers cold and glistening, covered in that shimmering layer of slick arousal.

And Alex would even be surprised by that level of self-restraint that makes Sylvia actually resist the temptation to keep riding her despite what her body's obvious desire clearly is, if it wasn't for that resolute look, for that challenging silver gaze that holds every intention to keep those spoken words and that has the redhead shifts lower onto the bed and lean forward, planting a trail of kisses spiced with nibbles that are hard enough to add that pleasant sting of pain on the way down her abdomen while Alex parts her own legs, bending one at the knee and reaching out with one hand, slipping her fingers through that gorgeous, soft red hair when Sylvia urges her thighs further apart and settles right between them, wasting no time in giving the first, long, slow lick that elicits also the very first shudder and guttural groan of appreciation.

Maybe this is what she needs, Alex thinks. Maybe this would be enough to help her get rid of that... that foreign sensation that she can still feel stuck there from this morning. Tightened like a spring coil in between her lower belly and stomach, reaching up and inching closer to the back of her sternum.

She lets her head fall back onto the pillow, closes her eyes and just focuses on the stimulation offered by that diligent mouth, meeting each slippery swipe of that firm, skilled tongue with a roll of her hips.

 **. . .**

Piper has spent some time dwelling on the thought, but despite that trace of flimsy doubt that has been stuck in the back of her mind, she doesn't believe that Alex came to her that day in her office with the intent of... persuading her in becoming an active member of her club.

She truly doesn't seem the type of person to plan something like that and go to such risky extents with someone new and so hesitant. Nonetheless, consciously or not, despite what Piper sincerely believes where her (totally unnecessary) honest apologies for having maybe... overwhelmed her back in her office that afternoon with that questionnaire, Alex surely managed to offer some very compelling arguments.

One of which is particularly hard to get out of her head and not let that thought, or even just the reminder alone, have a certain, lingering effect on her during the following couple of days.

If anything, she has come to what she believes is her final, definitive decision.

The next time she hears from the raven-haired woman is through an email, which is... a bit disappointing, but also relieving all at once actually, because Piper doesn't think she would have been able to hold a proper conversation with the woman she has kissed as fervently as she has never done with anyone before, and has been thinking about ever since.

No, pulling out the card that she now keeps tucked in her wallet and type an email to the address written at the bottom in that elegant font is much easier.

Somehow, it makes the whole procedure more... professional.

Or, at least, the illusion offered by the routine is enough for Piper to fool herself in it.

After all, as co-CEO of her own company she is used to spend a good part of the day going over reports and sending emails anyway. Sending one more, even if to the attractive owner of the sex club she might be joining as a member, still makes it fall in the "business" category, she reasons.

Because this is all it is, she reminds herself.

Just another business deal.

Still, even if she is somehow able not to frown upon that thought - which doesn't ring so sincere and sits a bit uncomfortably in her mind - Piper is quite unable to shake off that sense of disappointment that grows a bit more tightly in her stomach when she receives back a reply from the raven haired-woman and realizes that, perhaps, she would have actually preferred calling.

Because the tone in the mail is as kind and available as Alex has always been with her so far, but... it also doesn't diverge from the subject, and Piper realizes that it's the polite formality of the written email itself what disappoints her, even though she has been the one deciding to go with it instead of calling, which makes her feel so unbelievably, irritatingly annoyed with herself for her own inconsistency.

If her nerves had been that tiny bit less shaky she would have tried to summon that bit of courage that she had gathered a few days ago and just... call. That way, maybe, a casual, friendly even _"how are you doing?"_ would have had a better chance to slip out.

Maybe from her part, too...

She tries not to dwell on it and just prints out the list of exams and tests needed as a medical clearance that Alex has attached to her email along with a new copy of that infamous questionnaire.

Piper thought that, once put in front of the list of medical tests required before she can even be considered as a potential new client of the club, she would have maybe reconsidered the whole thing.

She is a busy woman. She doesn't have much time to run around doing blood and STDs tests.

And yet... that excuse is not enough of a motivation to dissuade her decision or, even less, make her curiosity waver in the slightest. And so, luckily, with just a few phone calls, she manages to schedule all the medical exams required within the following morning at a nearby clinic.

In just a couple more days she has all the results she needs and also an appointment with Alex at the club for that same day in the late afternoon, which is enough to make Piper feel on edge for the entire morning. And having to work with her partner for a good deal of it, trying to conceal her nerves... well, it's not easy. But the distraction of going through a load of bureaucracy and various strategies, works in preventing her mind from wandering.

All things considered, she thinks she is doing pretty good.

The thought of her impending late afternoon appointment actually manages to drift in the back of her mind, putting up the front some of her duties. But, ironically, that's exactly what ends up ruining her...

"You mentioned you had some documents that needed my signature," Polly reminds her when they are finishing up with their meeting. "Are they piled up here?" She asks gesturing to a neat stack of paper on her desk, and Piper is actually so focused in compiling a form on her laptop that when she answers it's just a distracted mumble.

"Nuh uh, I got them in my bag."

She even gestures with a wave of her hand to the general direction of where her work bag is hanging with her coat on one of the wall hooks by the balcony sliding doors, all without diverting her attention from the document on the screen, and...

If only she had paid that bit more of attention when giving those instructions and just _mentioned_ to her friend in which pocket she would have found the documents she was looking for...

But she doesn't. Because she doesn't think she needs to, Because in all the business talk and sells reports and marketing strategies for potential new products discussed, Piper actually _forgot_ about the other folder containing an ordinate stack of her medical results.

She is reminded of their existence only after Polly unzips the bag, pulls out the folder, opens it, and then, after a few moments of still silence...

 _"What the hell?"_

The unexpected imprecation is what snaps Piper's attention, making her turn with a confused frown toward her business partner.

"Something's wrong?" She asks, but Polly merely glances up at her from the folder opened in her hands with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open in a look of absolute worry bordering into a genuine fear that makes Piper instantly concerned as well.

That's it until her friend's gaze returns to the papers opened in front of her and flips through the pages while sputtering incredulously, "Cardiologist results? Blood tests? _Gynecologist exams?!_ "

And then, upon instant, startling, crashing realization about what her partner is actually reading, Piper might as well have started combusting there on the spot.

"What the hell Piper are you _pregnant?!_ "

Boiling heat flares on Piper's cheeks, scalding her entire face, her neck, reaching the tip of her ears, burning in her chest, and, for that split second of consuming embarrassment, she actually considers if it would be better to say yes, because right now that seems to have _a much better_ outcome than _"No, I just needed to get checked out because I'm going to join the sex club that you so sarcastically, bitterly suggested I'd go visit to loosen up that time we argued."_

She tries to dismiss it with a simple, although stuttered "I just got a routine check-up! T-that's all!"

But upon hearing that reply that doesn't sound one bit convincing at all and is rendered even more dubious given her suddenly incredibly flustered appearance, Polly's expression turns from shocked to absolutely frightened in the blink of an eye.

"Oh my god," She gasps before swallowing, thickly. "It's worse isn't it?" She asks then, stepping closer, close enough for Piper to notice the look of pure, authentic anguish into her friend's dark eyes. "Are you... Are you _dying?!_ "

 _Oh for the love of-_

"Jesus, Polly! _No!_ Why would you even think _that?!_ "

"Oh well, I don't know, let me see, it might be the fact that I'm holding a shitload of medical results about tests you required and you are sitting there trying to tell me it was for no reason at all?" With the sarcasm out of the way and some relief finally settling in at the blurted out reassurance, Polly takes a breath, but it's not enough to take away that worried and also very, very confused look from her face yet.

"What's going on, Pipes?" She asks, this time much more softly, and Piper actually feels bad.

Because there is also some hurt lurking in that question and mingling with the puzzlement filling those dark, wide eyes.

Polly looks truly concerned, almost panicked really, and on the verge of losing it for good in some hysteric crisis.

Piper could insist that she is fine, get her best friend to read the proof held in her hands as a concrete reassurance, but she knows Polly better than that. And it still wouldn't be enough to get her off her back so easily, and so, knowing that she has no other choice and (honestly) not wanting to lie straight to her business partner and best friend's face, she sighs in defeat, already knowing that she is probably going to regret this, but still deciding to go ahead and just... tell her the truth.

 _It was bound to come out eventually_ either _way,_ she reasons.

"I..." Piper starts before softly clearing her throat, swallowing, and then standing up from her office chair but still bracing herself against the edge of the desk, seeking for that bit of assistance that will help her keep her balance.

"I need those tests results as a medical clearance for joining the club." She confesses, surprisingly, without even faltering, and then, just because she doesn't want any kind of misunderstanding, she specifies. " _The sex club_."

There.

And... to be completely honest, despite that initial hesitation and awkwardness, it actually feels... _good_ , saying it out loud.

The turmoil that has been rocking inside of her starts to subside, washed away by an unexpected yet very welcomed soothing wave of cooling relief, and the feeling instantly reminds her of what Alex told her about that exact approach, of uttering intimidating things out loud; a theory that is once more proven right.

Because this thing that she has decided to try shouldn't feel like something secretive.

She is not going to yell it from a rooftop for the whole world to hear it, of course, because of value of privacy and all of that, but it's not something she must feel ashamed of either if it happens to come up with someone she is close with, like... the woman that has been her very best friend since high school for example.

However, she can easily tell that of all the things Polly was clearly bracing herself to hear, that explanation was definitely _not_ on the list.

If there is some sign of relief in knowing that at least she has nothing to worry about regarding the tests' results, her friend shows none, but she does a double take when presented in front of that revelation.

"Wait..." Polly blinks, backtracking and shaking her head, incredulously, as if willing herself out of some sort of stupor she has unexpectedly plunged into. "Are you saying that you were serious last week? Do you actually want to do that?"

It takes Piper some more courage and a couple of attempts to find her voice after she swallows the knot of nervousness that has risen once more from her chest and got stuck in her throat, but she manages without too much effort.

"There are... things, that I would like to experience, yes. And... I would feel more comfortable if it was with an expert in a safe envi-"

"You know what?" Polly interrupts her with a grimace, raising her hands in a halt before dropping the folder on the desk as if it were something dirty. "I don't want to hear it."

" _You_ asked." Piper points out, baffled, but mostly feeling suddenly very annoyed. Offended even.

"I know," Polly acknowledges. "But I don't want to picture you doing... whatever." She dismisses with a wave of her hand and a small sneer that doesn't certainly go unnoticed from Piper, who instantly, internally both deflates a little with uncertainty, but also swells with further irritation.

That feeling of self-consciousness stirs uncomfortably in her stomach, scratching in her chest for being looked at like Polly is currently doing, but then... Just when that feeling is threatening to grow into something more, into something potentially dangerous that could push them into a fight, Piper remembers Alex's words from the other day.

She remembers the lack of any kind of judgment and her professional, sincerest assurance that she would never dare to do such thing with any of her clients and never even thought about doing it out of respect.

It makes Piper straighten up, and look at her friend with her chin held high in defiance.

"If you are trying to belittle me or make me feel ashamed for having sexual fantasies, then-"

" _What?!_ " Once more, Polly interrupts her, looking even more shocked. " _No!_ Jesus, Piper! I _just_ -"

But Piper doesn't let her finish, and instead, since she is already fueled by that feeling consuming her from the inside, she takes the chance to ask an important question that she has been pondering since the first moment her friend started this whole thing a few weeks ago.

"Why would you even suggest me that I should go visit that club, _specifically_? One run by women and accepting _exclusively_ female clientele?"

There is a note of accusation seeping into her tone, one of which the origin stays half-hidden in her subconscious.

She watches Polly inhale a long breath through her nose, willing herself to calm down before, just as calmly, explaining.

"First of all, for the billionth time, _we_ were fighting, and _I_ was joking. I throw it there as an invitation to loosen up - one I still think you need to take by the way - but _you_ are the one who decided to take it quite literally. And second," Polly continues, promptly halting her before she can speak in her defense. "I'm aware that you like both boys and girls, Pipes. I _wasn't_ trying to diminish your sexual orientation or whatever," She sincerely assures. "But... would you really have gone to a sex club run by a bunch of men? Like the one downtown frequented by all kinds of people?" Her friend asks with a heavy note of skepticism. "I don't even think you'd need to present a medical clearance in that place as long as you bring a condom... Or even just a used piece of cling film." Polly sounds and looks pretty much disgusted by the idea, and, honestly, upon hearing that excuse put in such way, Piper feels like that as well.

She shifts on the spot from one foot to the other before admitting that, "Now that you say it like that, as a matter of fact, I don't think I would have."

Usually, she doesn't categorize, but... yeah, Polly has a point. Not to mention that women do tend to have a higher standard of hygiene than men, she thinks to herself, reminded once more that, after all, the costumers for the personal care and hygiene products that they develop and sell to the public are predominantly women.

And one of the very first impressions that she got in Alex's club when she first stepped inside - beside the surrounding and decor being tasteful and original - has been about how well-kept and immaculate the place was, _especially_ the private rooms.

The fact that she actually needs to present a medical clearance is only a further proof that the raven-haired woman takes this sort of things extremely seriously, especially in that safety-department, which is highly reassuring.

And also, if Piper has to be completely honest... there is just something about _paying_ a man to satisfy her needs and fantasies, especially after the couple of so-called boyfriends she has slept with not-so-recently (none of which have ever shown that much interest in her enjoyment as long as they could get their own) that, judging from those poor, regrettable excuses of encounters, makes even the thought alone sound just like an awful, totally unappealing, very bad deal.

"Women are more thoughtful." Polly comments, pulling her out from those thoughts as if reading them herself and knowing _exactly_ the direction they had drifted to. "More caring for their partner's needs."

Piper refrains from saying that she doesn't actually have a way to make a proper comparison considering that she has never... gotten the _chance_ to venture in that still completely unexplored side, but it's actually the way Polly _says_ that with that pensive look on her face what makes Piper gaze at her with slightly suspicious, narrowed eyes.

"It almost sounds like you are speaking from experience." She comments, arms crossing over her chest. "Is there _something_ I don't know, Pol?"

As there always tends to be when she is teasing her friend, the drop of playfulness in her tone adds to the welcomed lightness that wipes away some of the tension that was starting to lift in the air from just a few moments before.

Polly rolls her eyes in exasperation at the teasing, but there is the hint of a smile on her lips and also... maybe it's completely unrelated and just the result of their previous animated discussion, but Piper can't help but notice the presence of the lightest flush forming on her friend's cheekbones once presented in front of such implication.

"No, you pervert." It's the answer that Polly offers her eventually. "But... everyone has fantasies or has fantasized about... _stuff._ Especially when my own husband barely has the strength to roll over after he has done before starting to snore." She adds, with that much-expected look of barely sufficient tolerance on her face. "And, for the record, I wasn't _judging_ you _or_ your fantasies."

Piper knew that she wasn't, but she still felt a bit attacked.

Maybe today she is just jumpy considering the impending meeting that she has this afternoon with a certain raven-haired, green-eyed, incredibly charming and sinfully attractive woman.

"I just..." Polly brings her back from those very _distracting_ thoughts with a remorseful sigh. "I just want to make sure you are ready to get into something like this, Pipes."

And just like that, the tension that Piper has been feeling tightening inside her, start to loosen up upon hearing and seeing the concern coming from her friend.

Something in her physically softens, and she smiles. "I think I am."

 _After all, it's nothing new here in New York or something worthy of a scandal,_ she thinks, before confessing that, "I've been... talking to Alex, one of the two owners of the club, and... She got me thinking about some of the things she said, and..." There truly isn't another way to put it, or to add embellishment she knows she doesn't need to, especially not with Polly. "I would like to try it and see how it goes."

Her friend appraises her for a long moment, studying her as if in search for some cracks of doubt in her gaze.

"Okay." She says eventually when she finds none, nodding and flashing her an accepting smile. "But, if you change your mind, remember that I can get out with you one night, help you pick some awesome guy or cute girl from a bar. Maybe both even, if you are into that sort of thing," She isn't, but Piper still appreciates her friend's... uh... _thoughtfulness_ and open-mindedness.

"Maybe you could even just try some plain old dating." Polly suggests with a casual shrug, and just like that, Piper instantly groans upon hearing that word, because, "I don't have either the time or the energy to date anyone, Polly." And she has absolutely zero interest in going through that kind of endeavor.

She always sets her expectation too high and always gets disappointed one way or another.

 _No,_ she decides, _it's far better this way._

"This - _The club_ , is exactly what I need." She tells her best friend with firm conviction. "It's like stipulating another contract," _Literally_ , she thinks to herself, reminded once more of her afternoon appointment and feeling the little jolt that her heart does in the confines of her ribcage at the thought.

"The last thing on my mind right now is looking for a relationship, or worse, a one-night stand that I'd surely end up regretting immediately." She has never been fond of those or even particularly good in maintaining a relationship - she has never felt truly invested in the other person to try hard enough.

But none of that matters.

"This way I won't have to worry about missing a date or for generally not being present if I have to work late." Piper summarizes from her previous experiences, where she has always prioritized her career, her work, the business that she built from her own kitchen with her best friend. "And, most important, I won't have to be forced in any of that couple-like drama." She adds conclusively.

Surprisingly, Polly gives her an understanding look that is like a silent _"You may not be wrong about that"_ before actually voicing her approval.

"Fine," She sighs. "Then go ahead and enjoy yourself. Expand your horizons with some kinky sapphic sex or whatever, just... be safe, all right? And tell me how your first encounter goes." She demands before instantly realizing what she just asked and backtracking. "Actually, don't." She corrects, but then... she seems to rethink about that, too. "You know what? I'll let you know. I might need to live vicariously through you a little bit considering the lack of excitement in my own sex life. It would be a bit like we used to do back in college, only more role-reversed this time."

Piper isn't sure whether she should take her friend's request seriously or not.

Polly could just be easily joking around, the playful wink that she throws at her might be the ultimate proof to reinforce her teasing. But... on the other side, her business partner has mentioned not being particularly... enthusiastic, about how dull and ordinary things have gotten at home recently.

Either way, with the relief and sense of acceptance flowing through her and making her feel as light as she would have never imagined she would feel for coming clean, Piper just limits herself in expressing her gratefulness for the understanding and... all the surprising support coming from her best friend.

"Thank you, Pol."

She even feels a bit silly now, because she expected who knows what kind of scene, but... maybe she should give Polly the same amount of credit about these delicate, extremely personal matters as she does with all the work-related stuff, after all, they do run a business together.

Her friend, however (that to her is always been a bit more like the big sister she never had) just smiles and shrugs, still looking quite apologetic though, but also relieved in knowing that their little argument went resolved with no casualties or grudges this time.

"Grab some lunch with me later?" Polly asks her then as an ultimate gesture of apology while gathering up her things, looking ready to leave and go back to her own office on the opposite side of the floor.

"My treat." She adds, and Piper smiles, smirks actually.

"Your treat, uh?" Because if that's the case then she might _still_ feel a little bit offended maybe, and might forgive her friend completely if... "You're buying me the steak."

Polly doesn't look one bit surprised by the demand, but her eyes still narrow in a glare, although an unmistakably playful one that is completed by a cheeky comeback when, after grabbing her purse and cradling a stacks of papers to her chest she comments, "I'll get you some sweet potatoes, too. You might want to start eating more carbs. After all, from what you just told me, it seems like you are probably going to need some _extra_ energy."

That's all it takes for Piper's cheeks to flare bright red in an instant, and there is absolutely nothing that she can do to get rid of that blush or to even prevent the images of a certain room, with a canopy bed, satin sheets, and many different kinds of restraints hung on the walls from overfilling her mind, swallowing any other thought, rendering her completely unable to come up with an appropriate, equally witty retort before her business partner leaves, walking out of the office with that annoying smug grin of victory on her face.

And Piper _knew_ that there was at least one more reason why she might have decided to keep the whole "joining a sex club" thing a secret, beside generally avoiding the much-expected dose of judgment.

She should have anticipated the kind of teasing that would have come after the initial shock from her friend, and she groans realizing that she has just handed Polly a _shitload_ of ammunition for an immeasurable amount of future jests.

 **. . .**

The rest of the morning rolls by quickly. Lunch with Polly, too. And in between a few phone calls and a meeting, before even realizing it, it's already late afternoon and time for Piper to get to her... personal appointment.

If she had somehow managed to get a hold of her excitedly thrumming nerves thanks to the focus her work demands from her, but also thanks to Polly and her distracting company over a filet, when she gets to the club and sees Alex again, the memory of last time she saw her comes flooding back with all the feelings attached.

All as bright and vivid as the sparkling, stunning, aqua-green eyes and that trademark sly little smile (the one Piper is becoming quite familiar with) that she receives from the raven-haired woman in greetings.

Just the sight of those intriguing eyes and that gorgeous smile is enough to make her spine tingle, her breath catch in her chest, and her insides quiver.

And while she is there trying not to stumble on her heels or stare too hard and too obviously, Alex looks perfectly composed, and Piper doesn't know what to think of it. If she should feel disappointment considering how they parted ways last time, or relief for not mentioning at all what happened in that occasion, because who knows where would lead them starting such conversation.

The knowledge of what happened is like another presence hovering in the space between them. The same space that they have erased in her office with that fervent kiss. It's in Alex's little smile, in the way those eyes remain locked with hers for a second longer than necessary before flitting for the briefest second (but still enough to be noticeable) down to her lips, but it's all a silent knowledge, not something that they try to avoid, but also not something that needs to be reminded out loud.

What Piper finds surprising but also very comforting and relieving is that there is no awkwardness, no strain or hiccups in the conversation as she might have been dreading there would have been.

Alex, as professional as ever, leads her to the private confines of her office and offers her a seat, and the space in there only makes Piper remember all the more vividly what happened last time they have been alone in hers, but also - with a fair amount of lingering embarrassment - what happened last time she has been _here_ as well.

This time, however, she has no intention to bolt.

Her nerves - still shaky - also buzz with something far less intimidating and much closer to excitement. The kind that makes her stomach clench and flutter with a sense of anticipation.

Or maybe that is just being in the presence of the intriguing woman now sitting across from her on the expensive leather office chair behind the desk, looking so attractively confident in every little gesture; from the way she reaches out to take the folder of tests that Piper hands to her, to the way she leans back against the chair, legs elegantly crosses, while thumbing through pages of cardiologist exams, blood tests results for STDs with that look of undivided attention.

And Piper knows that she should put that same amount of focus in reading the documents that Alex gave her as well; the ones with all the legal terms about the contract, what it includes, payment methods, the rules to follow and all that, but... After she finishes answering to those few questions about known allergies and possible intolerances to some fragrances and... synthetic materials... her gaze keeps returning to the raven-haired woman sitting right across from her, admiring that little crease that forms between those perfectly sculpted eyebrows, the way she adjusts the glasses on the bridge of her nose...

Even just the way she flips through the pages, looking as focused and professional as...

As Piper herself _usually_ is whenever she is reviewing some important business document.

Watching Alex paying that much attention to those reports is just another one of those traits that make the raven-haired woman look all the more attractive to her.

They both share a great passion for their respective business after all, and take it very seriously.

"Everything appears to be in order,"

The sound of that deep, oh so gently husky voice pulls Piper out from her thoughts with a start, and when she looks up, there is that amused little smile tugging at Alex's lips; the proof that she has been caught off guard. _Again._ But, luckily, the raven-haired woman doesn't leave her there squirming on the spot to fight off that flare of light embarrassment that has come to tinge her cheeks, holding up the papers instead and asking if "Can I keep these?"

Piper nods jerkily, flashing a nervous smile. "Sure, of course. It's... It's just a copy, I kept the originals for myself." She informs, before seeking refuge from that smile lingering on the raven-haired woman's lips (those incredibly soft, very kissable lips that she has tasted not even a week ago) by tilting her head down again and trying to put her attention where it should be; on the contract in her hands that she has been fruitlessly trying to read over and over again without having been able to absorb much of it despite her efforts.

This time, however, when her gaze drops and lands at the bottom of the last page, that's the moment where something, a very important detail, strikes her hard enough to get her full attention back.

Because besides her own signature, the contract requires the one of the "performer" - as written under the blank space - that is going to "entertain" her and it's only then, upon seeing it, that she realizes that Alex hasn't mentioned who is going to take over her... appointments.

"Is everything all right Piper?"

And, apparently, the sudden doubt is visible enough on her face to catch Alex's attention.

"You know you can ask me if you have some doubts or questions."

Piper nods. "Yes, I know, it's just..." And then she pauses looking up at the raven-haired woman with a frown, swallowing, trying to not let that thing that she can feel forming in between her throat and chest (and that weights a lot like disappointment upon coming to the realization she has just come to) crush what has been the silly assumption that she has made.

So much time she has spent thinking about Alex - especially after the... heated moment that they have shared in her office just a few days ago - that she hasn't stopped to think once after having arrived to her ultimate decision, if she would have had the chance to have Alex as her... _tutor_.

Alex is the _owner_ of the club.

She has to take care of all the duties that running a business like this requires. And yet, somehow, Piper had naively imagined that it would have been Alex herself to take over her appointments.

And so, it's with a fair amount of badly concealed apprehension that she answers. "You haven't told me yet who is going to... I mean, I was just wondering which one of your... _employees_ you were going to assign me."

Alex, however, looks unimpressed, like she already expected the question and was actually ready to inform her on her own if the subject didn't come up from her part first.

"I had a couple of entertainers in mind as possible promising candidates." She reveals. "Of course I would have had you meet and see with which one you felt more comfortable before starting anything." She assures. "They are both very professional and... _versatile_. But I wasn't able to arrange either of their schedules to make another client fit, so..."

"So you don't have anyone for me yet," Piper concludes, and all of a sudden she doesn't know if she should feel relieved or even disappointed. Relieved because she might still feel a bit uncertain about doing... _things_ with a complete stranger, but also disappointed because she has been looking forward and given quite some thoughts about all the practices that she would have liked to experience, the same ones that she has listed in the new questionnaire that she has handed over to Alex earlier.

But just when she is about to get swallowed down that vortex of confusing, contrasting emotions, Alex speaks up and surprises her with a very unexpected, "Actually... I think I do."

Piper's head snaps up, her heart jolting with a combination of trepidation and contrasting curiosity.

"Usually I don't work as one of the entertainers, and it's been a while since I have personally taken any contracts, but..."

A flicker of hope instantly ignites in Piper's chest, but she doesn't dare to let it burn too soon, doesn't matter how hard it is trying to contain it with all of her expectation right there ready to feed it.

"If you are okay with it-"

 _Yes,_ Piper thinks to herself, despite her intentions of keeping her excitement in check and preventing her hopes from getting crushed.

"- and feel comfortable at the idea,"

 _I am,_ she thinks again as Alex continues, becoming more and more unable to contain that spark from lighting up further.

"I was thinking that, until someone else's schedules clears up, maybe I could be the one to... show you some basics." Alex offers, and if Piper weren't so focused in will her heartbeat to slow down, in subduing the heat that has flared inside her, she would maybe even notice that drop of nervousness seeping in Alex's confident tone.

"I could lead you step by step, and introduce you to at least some of the practices that you have listed in your questionnaire about what you would like to try out," Alex suggests then, glancing to where the new, finished questionnaire that Piper has properly compiled, as truthfully as possible - just a few nights ago at home, sits now on her desk. "If you are comfortable of course," Alex adds, apparently taking her silence and the look on her face as reluctance. "Although if you prefer someone else I guess I could find a way to squee-"

"I don't!" Piper promptly interrupts her, finally finding her voice, maybe even a bit more forcefully than she meant, and instantly wincing at the volume it comes out, which, much to her mortification even makes Alex startle a bit in her seat.

"I- I mean..." Piper stutters, softly clearing her throat and scrambling to regain some of her composure back. "I'm sure all of your entertainers are very professional and... _capable._ " She adds after swallowing, hard, lacking of a more appropriate word at the moment.

"But I..." And here she pauses, swallows some more to will that stubborn knot of nervousness away, inhaling a shuddering breath before continuing. "I already know you. And... If you are available I... I wouldn't mind. I'm... I'm comfortable with you, Alex."

She concludes with a twitching shy smile. And... she truly means it.

Despite this unusual case of verbal sputtering she seems to stumble upon every now and then when she is in the raven-haired woman's presence, she would feel incredibly more awkward and uncomfortable with someone else, someone new. A complete stranger.

But Alex...

 _Well..._

It's been very clear to her, since the very first moment of interaction with the intriguing, charming, raven-haired woman, that awkwardness is not something she could ever feel in her company, not even considering how much more... _intimate_ things are apparently going to get.

Or maybe the hammering of excitement in her chest is making her feel far too optimistic.

"Well, okay then." Alex smiles, and Piper can't help but notice how something in the woman's posture seems to relax as well, almost like in... relief. "Just know that I can always find someone else if you change your mind."

I don't believe I'm going to, Piper thinks to herself, but she still nods in understanding.

"So, _uhm..._ " Alex continues, looking so uncharacteristically hesitant for an instant, as if needing a moment longer to regain her thoughts and get back on track. "I'm going to need a couple of your signatures here." She announces then, gesturing to the blank spaces left on the copy of the contract, and Piper, with a hand still shaking with nerves, picks up the pen that she had dropped on the desk earlier.

"And, just to be clear," Alex tells her, catching her attention just before Piper prepares to scribble her signature on the appropriate spaces. "The purpose of this contract is mostly to have your general informations, get your agreement, inform you about the payment methods and remind you of the rules. As long as you follow the rules listed there is all good. You can interrupt it any time you want, or, if you want to add some changes to it, you can just tell me and I'll put it in writing and have you sign them as a physical reminder, okay?"

Piper should feel maybe a bit... offended, for being told what a standard contract like this includes considering her own profession, but... there are no implications in Alex's gaze. She is simply being as kind and reassuring as she probably is with all the other clients that might have some doubts about a few of the complicated words used to say simple things in a contract and that can appear as tricky or dubious to someone not used to deal with this kind of things on a daily basis.

And Piper can't help but smile in front of the raven-haired woman's thoughtfulness. "You forget I'm used to stipulating contracts as well." She reminds her, somehow teasingly, but Alex shakes her head, looking indeed very aware of that fact.

"I haven't," She answers. "But I always prefer to be clear and... _thorough._ "

And just like that, with the look that Alex flashes her, with that hint of a smile on those rosy lips and the way those eyes flit down to her lips, Piper is left there, speechless, not feeling sure of how her own voice might come out if she actually tried to speak considering the way her heart has started hammering in her chest and pulsing all the way up in her throat and making her hands shake as she extends the signed contract to Alex who promptly takes it, reluctantly diverting her gaze at last only so she can briefly scan through the pages.

"There are some more things we need to discuss along the way," She warns while examining the document. "Like agree on a safe word, or establish a color system so that I can always know how comfortable you are at any moment, and how you are going to address me during the session. But we can go deeper into that at your first session." Alex reassures her, putting the contract down. "The rest that comes later we'll discuss it as well, but... step by step."

And with that, after flashing another one of those gorgeous smiles that would make Piper's knees buckle weren't she sitting, Alex flips through the last page of the document, making things official in two copies by putting her own signature just beside hers.

It is done.

"Here," She says then, carefully yet expertly ripping off one of the two pages. "This one is for you to keep."

There is no need for Alex to actually get up from the chair and circle the desk to hand her over a copy of the contract, but Piper certainly doesn't mind watching her stand and approach her with that confident, feline-light step.

The proximity, however, even though it starts that same thrilling, buzzing warmth in her belly, and the faint whiff of that equally tart and sweet fragrance of Alex's perfume that mingles even more perfectly with the smell of wood and leather and books that clings in her study, makes her head spin with the still very fresh memory of what happened last time they have been so close in an office with a desk nearby.

"It's going to be a pleasure teaching you the ropes, Piper." Alex tells her, and Piper doesn't know if it's either a humorous, clever quip, or if it's just a sincere statement.

It's hard to tell.

The slightly hinted tug of possible teasing on Alex's lips might be a suggestion of its own.

But... that smile doesn't reach her eyes with the same strength in that hidden playfulness. Leaving those shimmering pools of green open and mischief-free.

Either way, as Piper reaches out to take the signed copy of the contract that Alex extends to her, feeling the shiver that runs through her entire being and that feeds that spark that has lit up in her belly and spread in her chest when their fingers merely brush together, she already knows, that the pleasure is all going to be _hers._

* * *

 **These chapters keep coming out very long, but I doubt you guys mind it at all, lol :D Something that I forgot to mention earlier... I wanted to thank you guys for being so patient and considerate with me and for not giving anything away about the new season of Orange, meaning no spoilers, personal opinions or leaving comments of any kind about it. As you all know I still have to finish season five, but I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and patience in keeping respecting this "silence" treatment, lol :D I'll let you all know when I'm finished with season 5 though!** **Anyway, back to this fic and this chapter, I know you guys didn't like the Alex-Sylvia sex scene, but it was there for a reason, and now, with the contract signed, Piper is finally, officially a client... and fantasies are slowly getting more real ;) For starters, she got Alex as her... personal entertainer :P**


	6. Chapter 6

Hi there!

You guys, I've tried, so hard, to get the chapter ready before the weekend, but in between errands and duties and stuff I still wasn't able to.

Anyway, I'm here now :D And I'm not going to make you wait any longer for this chapter :)

Enjoy

* * *

"Well, well, oh my... don't you look handsome, Vause? Although, if I may, you could have picked something more classic, leather-clad maybe? Or you no longer fit in your corset?"

Alex merely scoffs, but she would probably have laughed more sincerely at her best friend's teasing if it wasn't for the annoyance that keeps swelling inside her with each frustratingly failed attempt that is taking her to fix the cuffs of her shirt, which buttons just keep slipping from her oddly twitchy, uncooperative, and uncharacteristically slippery fingers.

She must have used too much moisturizer, she reasons, wiping her sweaty hand on the leg of her pantsuit for the third time.

"Why this attire?" Nicky inquires, and when Alex glances up, she notices immediately the light frown of curiosity creasing the space between her friend's eyebrows paired with the intrigued little smile that she already knew she would find there tugging at her lips with a dash of amusement as she closes the door and steps further inside the office and towards her. "It's not exactly the usual appointment outfit." She points out.

"I'm aware," Alex replies. "But she is a businesswoman," She then reminds her partner, quite matter of factly.

Nicky, however, merely blinks and shrugs in puzzlement. "So...?"

" _So_... I thought that it would have helped to _ease_ her into the first session," Alex explains, glancing back up from her fruitless fidgeting with the shirt cuffs just in time to see the look of realization shape her business partner's features and widening those already big, dark eyes.

"Oh... _Of course_. Playing some kind of psychology card, aren't you? Smart trick." Nicky compliments, nodding understandingly, with that smile slowly shaping her lips into an approving smirk spiced with a drop of unmistakable mischief. "Is that what you are trying to stick up your sleeves for later?" She teases, only to backtrack and raise her hands in surrender when Alex shoots her a glare.

"Seriously though," Her friend tells her then, running a hand through her messy, voluminous hair. "It's a... very thoughtful idea." She adds, sounding sincere even though she still looks a bit puzzled by the choice. "Although... if I have to be completely honest, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought you got dressed like this because she was into some role-playing scenario she wanted to try out."

 _Well..._

"She might even be," Alex mumbles softly under her breath. A whisper that gets lost under the insistent, heavy rain pouring outside and tapping against her office window.

It slips past her lips quietly enough to prevent her from actually revealing the intriguing, promising results of the questionnaire compiled by the young woman involved; a questionnaire that Alex has been studying for quite some time just a couple of days ago, absorbing every little detail in it. From the firmness of the hand - that at some point, towards more specific questions requiring a more _open_ answer has started to falter - to the amount of fantasies and practices on the list that have piqued the young, blonde woman's interest, next to which some might have the lettering "maybe" or "willing to experiment" that might have made Alex smile a little in amusement, too.

Now she knows why Piper has have gotten nervous - overwhelmed even - that time in her office when she first presented her with all those questions. Even if it has been at the blonde's request, she still should have been thoughtful enough to hand them over and tell her to fill it out with calm, in her own time and in private.

Alex should have seen under that brightness of eagerness and the attractive burst of confidence that has made Piper just... _dive right into it._

"But no," She assures her friend at last, when she emerges from those thoughts, dragging up a lingering guilt, speaking more loudly for Nicky to be able to properly hear her this time. "This is her _first_ session after all, and..." She pauses, glancing briefly at her opened, lit laptop sitting on the desk, unable to not instantly deflate, even if just a little, after taking a glimpse at the time and seeing what she already suspected.

"And she is already late." Alex states. "Who knows, she might have even changed idea."

For how much she tries to dismiss it as nothing important, the sigh that slips past her lips a moment later when she, at last, gives up her futile attempts in buttoning up the cuffs of her shirt and just drops her hands down in frustration, gives away what is her true disappointment at the possibility.

"Here." Nicky, however, steps forward and circles the desk, offering her some assistance with the shirt cuffs that have been driving her close to insanity for the past five minutes.

"Let me get those for you." Her best friend volunteers, flashing her an amused little smirk that gets only subdued to offer a more reassuring smile. "You should give her time, you know? The weather isn't very favorable today either."

As if on cue, a sharp flash of blue lits up the entire office, preceding the loud thunder that booms in the sky just a couple of seconds later.

Nicky lifts a cocky eyebrow at her for having been assisted with such perfect timing before adding a casual, "She probably got stuck into traffic."

 _Or in her own sudden doubts,_ Alex thinks to herself, not knowing why the idea that Piper might have changed her mind after all makes her feel so... _uncomfortable._

Sure, losing a client just after she got them to sign a contract and before even starting a session is not good, _at all_ , but...

There is... _something else_ gnawing at her.

Something that she can't actually pinpoint, and which mysterious origin only adds to that frustration that keeps swelling inside her with each passing second, making her grow more and more restless.

"You know," Nicky starts, softly, approaching the subject tentatively, as if sensing those same cracks in her mood even without having to actually look at her while she just neatly folds and just as precisely rolls up her forearms the sleeves of the elegant dark red shirt that she has chosen to wear for today's appointment under a vest. "I took a look at the log earlier," Her friend reveals. "To see how the schedules have been organized for today, and... if you would have rearranged just a couple of appointments, maybe gotten Monterey to switch her day off with someone else later in the week, you would have trimmed a clean hour and a half for a full session this afternoon."

Alex shifts her weight slightly on the spot, from one foot to the other, because even if there is no accusation weighing in her friend's words, the implied "so you wouldn't have had to take this appointment personally" is still perfectly audible in her voice.

"Yeah, I know." Alex recognizes. "But Monterey wasn't in the list of entertainers I thought as more _fitting_ for this case. She is already playing a very dominant role with two clients that are both at a pretty advanced level, while Piper... She is a beginner." She unnecessarily reminds her business partner. "And I didn't want to mess up with the schedules too much anyway."

Alex is not particularly fond of the silence that follows.

Filled with the thick heaviness of doubt that she knows she would find in her best friend's dark gaze - which she purposefully avoids - only daring to glance briefly up at her when she sees her nod.

"Right... I see." It's all Nicky says eventually, and much to Alex's surprise she doesn't come up with arguments like "she is a very versatile woman, extremely professional, and she can perfectly handle her usual hardcore costumers and at the same time initiate someone who is completely new to this with a softer, gentler hand."

Still, unfortunately, being able to read her friend so clearly, makes Alex sigh a pleading, tired, "Please Nicky, don't start." that is meant to hold back and prevent her business partner from actually making the kind of remark that she can already hear in her head.

Nicky, however, doesn't seem to be willing to start absolutely anything despite her previous comment. Which is... surprising to say the least.

Almost _suspicious_ actually.

"I didn't say anything." She points out with a frown and a nonchalant shrug, before returning to her task of adjusting the shirt sleeves.

And while Alex could easily reply that she didn't need to, she truly doesn't want to get into an argument with her best friend right now about what has been her decision to take over the appointment personally.

And so, in order to avoid a potential fight, she just... lets the whole thing slide, releasing a long silent exhale through her nose and trying her best to ignore that _feeling_ that still remains stuck there in her chest, and that to her is starting to feel like disappointment with each passing minute of delay.

"There," The sound of Nicky's unexpectedly chirpy voice a few moments later is what makes her blink out from the brooding mood she has fallen into and back into focus. She glances down at the perfectly folded sleeves of her shirt now neatly rolled up her forearms, and when she glances back up, it's just to see her friend taking a step back, crossing her arms over her chest, head tilted slightly to the side as she scans her up and down with a smirk slowly stretching on her face.

"So?" Alex asks expectantly.

Her friend appraises her more thoroughly, from her boots, to the tailored pantsuit, pausing a beat longer on her choice for the leather belt - which Alex might have chosen more as a... _scenic accessory_ than for its purpose of actually holding up her trousers - to the black vest and deep red shirt, unbuttoned just enough to show a glimpse of what are unquestionably her most _generous_ assets that mother nature has gifted her.

"You know what?" The smirk on Nicky's face widens into a full, immensely pleased grin. "I take it back about the leather corset. You look just as fabulous like this, kid."

"Really?" Alex frowns. "I don't look too much like a valet, or a sommelier?" She asks then, looking down at herself, not quite doubting her choice of outfit but reconsidering it with all of the other options she had in her closet.

Nicky scoffs, stepping forward again to adjust the collar of her shirt, opening it a little further to reveal an additional hint of her cleavage. "Never met any sommelier that was half as hot as you or had your level of _expertise_ in their field," Her friend comments before stepping back again with a nod of ultimate approval. "No, you look great. This dark shade of red and the black of the vest and pants are your colors." She assures with conviction. "If you wanted to appear as a flaming hot version of a very dominant, intimidatingly attractive businesswoman in a suit, well... Mission accomplished. She might get down on her knees right away."

" _Nicky!_ "

The careless comment - even though said with nothing but playfulness - is what makes Alex snap the sharp reprimand.

 _This_ is exactly why she is the face of the club and deals with bureaucracy and with all the clients all by herself, because for how much Nicky's humor might be funny, not everyone - especially not their most well-paying, regular costumers tends to find her wit so... _charming._

"What?" Her best friend asks with that utterly innocent look that is in complete contrast (not to mention kind of disturbing) with the mischief glinting into her big dark eyes. "I'm just being honest," She defends, and then, with that same honesty transmuting into a look of even more obvious appreciation, "I'll even admit that I kinda want to jump you right now."

And that's all it takes for Alex's hard, scolding expression to drop, as does her posture when she releases a sigh that inevitably turns into a low chuckle upon hearing that comment, earning back a wide grin from her best friend.

"Finally!" Nicky exclaims. "A real laugh and a smile at last."

"If that's what you were after you could have just told me one of your awful, dirty jokes." Alex tells her, but she is still smiling.

"Oh, don't worry Vause, there is still time for those." Her friend assures her, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively before tilting her head towards the door. "Come on. I'm giving a hand at the bar later, and I could use the assistance of your ridiculous, sexy height to help me restock some bottles on the higher shelves while you wait for your da- for your _appointment_ to get here."

The slip almost has Alex shoot another glare at her friend, but before she can, Nicky's gaze shifts to the laptop sitting on the desk as a silent, _"Unless you have some boring papers you need to take care of."_

Truthfully, Alex has been advantaging herself with some of her usual bureaucratic duties regarding the club's accounting for all the expenses and payments, specifically for today, since she had her first client to handle personally in over a year.

Or... that's what she thought and has been preparing herself for, she realizes, once more reminded of the young woman's delay.

Remaining without anything to do is not an option. Staying in her friend's company for a bit longer while helping in getting the club ready for the evening, however, seems like a much better idea than lurk in her empty, storm-darkened office and uselessly await for an appointment that apparently is not getting here - Contrary to Nicky's reassurances and what she wants to make her believe.

And so, at last, she agrees.

"Sure," She answers with a casual half shrug, because, "Why not."

Nicky flashes her another smile, a much softer one though, as if sensing her resignation, and for a moment, upon seeing that look, Alex expects her to say something else encouraging about her young client's "delay" and the all possible explanations for it. However, she is surprised - besides relieved and immensely grateful - when, luckily, Nicky seems to reconsider whatever assurance she was thinking about and just heads for the door instead.

"All right then, _Bossy McGorgeous,_ come with me. Maybe after we have done I could put you on the window display." Nicky blatantly suggests. "You'd attract new costumers as easily as an opened jar of honey catches ants."

And just like that, Alex rolls her eyes with affectionate exasperation, unable to contain the fresh new chuckle that slips past her lips as they walk out of her office and down the hallway towards the entrance of the club and the bar.

Yeah, Nicky and some of her witty humor spiced with that hint of innocent, playful flirting is what she needs to help her ignore that uncomfortable, scratchy feeling in her chest of something incredibly akin to disappointment, and keeping it from rubbing her raw from the inside.

 **. . .**

Even though such approach works, however, it's only to an extent. Until Nicky has to wander in the keg room to change a barrel, leaving her there to polish the wine glasses on her own. And it's only a matter of time, in this case barely a couple of minutes spent doing something so tedious, before her thoughts start drifting back to the reason why she is here, way too overdressed to be occupying her time like this in the first place.

After having properly restocked the bar, and when the fifteenth minute delay ticks on the clock, Alex is ready to assume that, storm or not, Piper is definitely no longer coming.

Reading people is part of her profession. But also a skill that she has always possessed and refined during the years, and one that is impossible to turn down when she meets someone new. She basically relies on first impressions in her job, and among some of the firsts that Piper has given her till now, there has been elegance, politeness, professionalism (and she can tell so from the glimpse she has caught when she went to her office to return the agenda) and... punctuality.

The kind that only a dedicated businesswoman possesses so strongly and most likely demands as well with the same precision from those around her.

After all, being the founder and co-CEO of her company must require-

Suddenly, Alex's trail of thoughts come to a startling halt, because it's only then, that she is instantly reminded of something that she can't believe she hasn't taken in consideration until just now.

So... _distracting,_ that foreign, uncomfortable feeling has been in her chest, that she has forgotten a very important, fundamental aspect that is a vital part of the young blonde businesswoman.

Because Piper is a precise and extremely committed chief executive, who takes her duties as seriously and as diligently as Alex herself does with her own. So she might pretty easily have been held back at work, maybe in an important meeting or gotten busy with something else that came up at the last minute, urgent enough to make her forget about calling off the appointment.

That one is a justification that Alex can take and accept much more easily than the possible "she might have changed idea" that sits a bit uncomfortably in her mind and might also - to be completely honest - be the cause why her ego feels a little bit bruised.

That itching feeling of disappointment mingled with a tiny dose of what might even have been irritation before she realized the possible, justifiable explanation for the lack of any kind of communication from the young blonde to inform of the delay, starts to die down and diminish into understanding and acceptance at twenty minutes.

Ready to get back to her usual, formal duties at the reception in preparation for the evening, Alex sets down the last wine glass on the bar station.

She is about to step down from the bar however when suddenly, with a violence that makes her startle and turn towards the entrance, the front door of the club swings wide open, bringing an icy cold whistle of wind along with the very last sight that Alex thought she would see by now.

Because standing there, looking utterly disheveled, struggling to close the door and, at the same time, juggling to hold way too many things in just two hands, with golden hair messed up by the wind, flattened and wet by the rain in some places just like the long trench coat splatted with drops, and in complete disarray, is no other than the young businesswoman she has spent a good half an hour thinking about.

As if materialized from her very thoughts.

Although, in a much, _much_ more messy appearance that for a moment it makes Alex even doubt what she sees.

But... there is no mistaking.

It clearly takes some effort for Piper to close the door against the angry gust of wind, and even though Alex distantly realizes that this whole scene playing before her would be pretty comical in other circumstances, with the element of surprise gone, the sight of the young woman in clear difficulty it's all it takes for her to snap into action.

She steps down the bar and erases the distance between the counter and the entrance in barely three long steps, assisting the young woman by pushing her weight against the door.

It slams shut, and then Piper - even though it wasn't Alex's intention - startles at her sudden presence, and then Alex has to watch the wide-eyed, disheveled blonde scramble to adjusts her purse' strap on her shoulder to prevent it from falling down her arm, before shifting a familiar gym bag to her other hand, in order to hold an unfortunate umbrella that hasn't survived to the unforgiving wind; all bent and turned on itself in such way that only adds to the list of proves that the weather is so much worse than what Alex thought it was.

"Alex! _H-hi!_ "

The awkward and uncharacteristically slightly high-pitched greeting that Piper gives her, paired with a sheepish little smile that Alex might even find endearing, is the ultimate proof of exactly how embarrassed the young woman is.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, I'm late." She adds then, sounding so deeply apologetic.

But Alex dismisses immediately the totally unnecessary apology and instead, unable to get rid of the thought she greets the blonde by asking her, "Please, tell me you didn't walk under the rain all the way from your company's building."

Piper's coat is covered in large, heavy drops, her hair is almost completely wet, clinging to her forehead and dripping down her cheeks. She honestly looks like she been in the middle of a tornado, which, considering the sight Alex is met with when she glances outside the door of the club and is barely able to distinguish the gray of the street from the mist lifted by the rain, the situation doesn't look far away from that assumption.

"No, I... I got a cab to drive me here," Piper answers which is only partially reassuring considering her current state. "But there was so much more traffic than I had anticipated there would be, even though I left my office earlier. Anyway... I was almost here when we got stuck again and, since I knew I was already late I just... got out of the car and walked the remaining two blocks."

Alex looks outside, where the storm is raging much more violently than she has cared to notice earlier, and then back to the blonde with wide, incredulous eyes.

She almost wants to ask her if she is kidding, but it's pretty obvious that she isn't, which is deeply concerning.

"I'm sorry," The flustered, shivering blonde repeats. "I wanted to call and tell you I would be running late but..." And here, Piper manages the impossible, her cheeks heat up with a hot blush of embarrassment even though she is clearly freezing. "I have no idea where my phone is, I might have left it at work, or back at home this morning, I don't remember where or even when I used it last time and I just-"

 _Enough._

"Hey, It's okay," Alex promptly interrupts the totally unnecessary apology and explanation for the lack of communication to inform her of the delay, feeling a bit guilty even, since a part of her might be kind of enjoying the sight of the young woman rambling like this.

She puts it side to side with her memory of the driven co-CEO that she has seen give orders to her subordinates in that small conference room, and for a moment Alex finds it hard to think that she is the same woman standing now in front of her.

"Don't worry about it. I already imagined you had stumbled into some unexpected delay." Alex reassures her. "Although... I imagined it would be work-related. I didn't think it was the middle of a hurricane." She quips, and it's lame, she knows that, but she is definitely pleased when her weak joke earns her a soft chuckle from the blonde, which, she realizes, was her intention.

To help her wash away the embarrassment with a drop of humor.

"You didn't have to run under the rain to get here, Piper." She adds then. But upon hearing that reassurance that might hold even a drop of soft reprimand in her tone, Piper glances up at her, this time with no trace of tentativeness or awkwardness, but an honesty that sounds vulnerable even though there is nothing but strength in her suddenly much firmer voice when she speaks and tells her that, "I just... I didn't want you to assume that I had changed my mind about... _This._ " She explains, suggestively glancing around the entrance of the club and seeming to relax a bit more under the weight of her drenched coat when she sees that no one else is there to assist to such a scene.

Alex doesn't tell her that such thought has actually crossed her mind already. The young woman looks mortified enough for more than one reason, and right now, Alex's only concern is getting her into something dry and warm.

Even though... Hearing her admit out loud that she hasn't had second-thoughts is... a reassurance that Alex didn't know she needed to receive so strongly.

It patches up the rawness left earlier from that feeling that has been scratching in her chest from the inside, and soothes what she doesn't want to admit might have been her slightly bruised ego.

She welcomes the comfort that this new knowledge brings, but the rest falls all somewhere in the back of her mind as she reaches out to grab the gym bag from the blonde's hand, the same one that she has noticed that day in her office after the first massage appointment that the young woman had booked, and which probably contains a (very handy right now) change of clothes.

"Come on," She simply invites tilting her head towards the hallway that leads to the depths of the club in explanation when Piper gives her a puzzled look but still lets go of the bag without question, leaving her there to shoulder her purse and the awkwardly bent, broken umbrella. "I'll get you to the changing rooms and bring you some towels," Alex offers, flashing her a smile. "You can take a shower there if you feel like you need it, too."

The fact that Piper doesn't protest, like a part of Alex already kind of expected to hear, is just a further indication of how much discomfort the young woman must be in right now.

"Okay..." Piper assents at last, returning the smile with one of her own that is still however somehow hesitant, a bit twitchy, nonetheless sincere and very grateful, and also, undoubtedly, immensely relieved by the kind offer. "Thank you, Alex."

"Don't mention it," Alex replies with a dismissive shake of her head. "Now come, let's get you out of that wet coat."

With that she leads Piper through the club, unable not to think about how this isn't _exactly_ the way she had pictured getting the young woman to undress this afternoon.

 **. . .**

Piper has found herself into some very embarrassing situations in her life.

Luckily though, just occasionally, and mostly when she was a student in college.

She was pretty sure that she had left that uncomfortable feeling behind to those old days.

Make embarrassing scenes (especially for someone in her respected position) is not something she can allow to do after all.

But her business is not - since she has recently, hesitantly decided to take Polly's advice in the end - all she has agreed to make her life revolve around.

And even though she thought she had forgotten how embarrassment felt like, she has been reminded of exactly how uncomfortable it feels in the moment she has stumbled into the club in such ridiculous, comical fashion.

But just when she thought that she had plunged in so deep that this time she could very easily be close to reaching the extreme bottom close to humiliation itself - rendering her unable to catch even the faintest glimpse of light from above that could be able to help her climb her way back up from such situation - the very same green-eyed, raven-haired woman she truly didn't want to be seen in such conditions from (especially considering the effort she had put in dressing up for the... _occasion_ ) has been the one to offer her assistance with nothing but understanding and what might even have been a hint of concern in front of the ridiculous way she stumbled inside her club.

Maybe it was bound to happen in such way, Piper resigns.

She has been twitchy all day. The meeting with the team in charge of their new product's advertising has been disastrous, the location that Polly had visited the previous week for what was supposed to be their first store just outside the city has turned out being no good in the end due to the excessive restorations expenses it would require, bringing them back to square one in search for a new place. And if that wasn't already enough, the violent storm and the ridiculous traffic and the dreadful delay and her startling realization that she might have left her phone at the coffee shop under her apartment building this morning while she was fixing her order at the sugar and milk station, have just been the three perfect little cherries that adorn oh so perfectly the top of crappy day she's had.

Until fifteen minutes ago, that's it.

Because even though she was _sure_ that things were definitely bound to get worse after the way she has stumbled into the club like a wet stray cat seeking refuge, she has been welcomed with nothing but the sincerest, warmest reassurances from Alex, whose tasteful, impeccable attire (which Piper might have noticed immediately) even if not too revealing, put on display her curves, suiting her so nicely, making her instantly realize (even under the element of surprise and burning embarrassment winding through her system) that such outfit was the one that the raven-haired woman had chosen for their first... session together.

A knowledge that only made Piper feel even more poorly for her own flustered, messy appearance.

But now...

Now she tries to leave all of that behind her.

She lets the warm water of the shower usually used as a further, obligatory hygienic precaution before entering the hot-tubes and the pool, wash away what has been a long day filled with inconveniences and lets them be swallowed by the drain instead. But mostly, what really helps her cutting off the remaining strands of embarrassment and helps her get rid of the cold that seems to have seeped in her bones under the rain, is the warmth brought by Alex's kindness and thoughtfulness in the offer that came spontaneously upon seeing her in the conditions she's walked into the club.

For how much Piper would like to linger, and might even feel a bit tempted to do so, especially considering how hard it is to resist the soothing warmth of the water after the day she's had - it wouldn't be appropriate given the circumstances. And so, after enjoying the massaging hot spray of the shower for another minute, she steps out and wraps herself in the impossibly soft bathrobe with the logo of the club that Alex has generously lent her.

The moment she gets back to the changing room - which is basically a small locker room similar to any other present in any spa - it's also the moment when Alex walks in.

Their gazes meet immediately and Piper feels another soothing wave of assurance wash over her when Alex flashes her a little smile.

"Feeling better?" The raven-haired woman asks her and the sincere interest laced with that something close to concern into those green eyes and in that deep voice is what makes Piper return the smile with a soft, much more relaxed one of her own that has nothing of the nervous, way-too-big, twitchy one that she has flashed Alex out of embarrassment when she first arrived and got startled by her sudden presence beside her.

" _So much_ better." She replies with all her gratefulness. "Thank you."

"I hung up your coat in my office by the radiator," Alex tells her, and Piper might feel this funny, prickling-like sensation starting in her belly, elicited by the raven-haired woman's thoughtfulness. "But... I'm afraid I have bad news about your umbrella."

In hearing that, Piper grimaces, even though she suspected as much.

"It didn't survive, did it?"

Alex shakes her head, lips twitching into an amused little smile even though she still offers an apologetic "Sorry."

She is lead out of the changing rooms and she doesn't even realize that she is still wearing just the bathrobe and the pair of disposable flip flops. The shower that she has taken has soothed her in a way she never thought would be possible just ten minutes ago, making the detail of her current attire fall somewhere in the back of her mind, although, contrary to anything else, the need to properly apologize to the woman that has been so kind and understanding with her has only intensified.

"I'm really sorry for all the trouble, Alex," Piper says, remorsefully, just when they are rounding the corner, heading for the long hallway. "I..." She pauses, unable not to release a self-deprecating little chuckle at the less than ideal situation. "I have to say, this is not how I had pictured this appointment going. _At all."_ The out loud admission feels more like dropping a weight that carrying it with that silent knowledge making it heavier on her chest.

Her gaze drifts towards Alex and she immediately notices the expression twitching ever so slightly on those very attractive features, like a silent "yeah, me either" that she knew she would find there, although much more subtly.

"Things not always go as planned. And it's no trouble at all." Alex reassures her before the sense of guilty about messing up the appointment can start gnawing at her again.

And then, almost as if is sensing that same threatening cloud of guilt looming over this new, comfortable, embarrassment-free moment, and offering a glimpse of that teasing side that Piper might have caught on a couple of occasions, Alex asks her, "But... since you brought it up, how did you picture it going?"

The question sounds somewhere discreetly in between the already expected playfulness but also... genuine curiosity.

The gleam that Piper catches behind the lenses of those dark-framed glasses only reinforces her impression and, since she has already come to the decision that it's best to laugh about all of this instead of just dwelling on everything that went wrong till now, Piper definitely doesn't mind answering it with that same drop of humor.

"Well," She begins, willing to play along and not bothering to suppress the smile tugging at her lips. "For starters, I wasn't planning on making a fool of myself by being so late only to stumble in completely soaked wet once arrived."

When a long moment of silence it's all she is met with, concerned that she might have said something wrong, Piper decides to glance back at Alex, frowning, and... it actually takes seeing the little smirk twitching subtly at the corner of the raven-haired woman's mouth for her to get what she has _actually_ just said. But in the moment she realizes it, it's already too late to backtrack and fight off the blush that rises up her cheeks and heats up her entire face in an instant.

"You are right," Alex agrees, interjecting before she can have a chance to embarrass herself even further by stumbling awkwardly into an explanation. "Usually, our clients tend to _leave that way_ from here."

The oh so clever quip comes attached with a playful little wink, and Piper might be there trying to will away with all her might the heat that is scalding her whole face, but honestly, in front of the glint of humor shimmering into those enchanting green eyes, and with the knowledge that the raven-haired woman isn't making fun of her but rather just being humorous with no casualties, she can't suppress the soft, breathed little chuckle that bubbles up from her chest and tumbles past her lips so unexpectedly, and yet, so naturally all at once.

This whole day has been filled with one disappointment after another. She could use some of that humor to lift her morale up, and Alex's company - even if this is not as explicit as how she had imagined she would... _be enjoying it_ this afternoon - is still an incredibly pleasant diversion that helps her put behind for good the rest of her crappy day and just focus on the now.

"Although..." The sound of that deep, slightly husky voice seeps into her thoughts, bringing her back to the moment, and once her attention returns to Alex, she is unable not to catch the contrasting, sudden, unexpected drop of seriousness, and feel the new, tentative weight devoid of any trace of humor (but replaced by something much more alluring) when the raven-haired woman concludes with a rather suggestive, "There is still time for _that_."

During their casual, pleasant, light chat, Piper might have been distantly wondering where Alex has been leading her.

She didn't question the destination. Hasn't honestly even thought about doing so. She's been left so utterly relaxed by the shower that she just followed the raven-haired woman without thinking twice about it or even realize with much importance that she is still wearing the bathrobe and has left her bag with the change of clothes in one of the lockers in the changing room.

But now, upon hearing that implication, coming just in the exact moment Alex brings them to a timely stop in front of one the closed doors of the series of rooms down a hallway that Piper might still remember quite well, striking realization shapes her features.

Her lips part, her blue eyes widen, and a flicker of anticipation mingled with an unmistakable dose of nervous hope, starts deep down in her belly, completely erasing whatever sense of sudden self-consciousness had started to stir within her at the thought of exactly how very naked she is under the bathrobe she's wearing.

"Y-you mean...?" When that question slips out without consent, Piper barely recognizes her own voice, and given the way the raven-haired woman in front of her is clearly struggling to hold back a smile in front of her expression, she seems to think so, too.

"I mean," Alex explains, schooling her features into that expression of absolute professionalism that Piper can't help but find so ridiculously attractive for some reason. "You are paying me two hundred dollars per hour, Piper." She states matter of factly.

"And you still have almost fifty minutes left from the hour and a half we had agreed this first session would last." She then informs, and while there is no weight pressing onto those words or onto the very clear meaning behind them, the reminder alone that they still have time, even if Piper was - distantly - aware of the fact already, is enough to make her breath stutter in her chest when she sucks in a much-needed sip of air.

"So," Alex continues. "If you want to sit down and talk about the weather, we can do that, sure. Even though... I have to say, that it seems like you got enough of that already for the day." She even quips, carefully balancing what she is most definitely offering, with some tactical humor, deliberately to not overwhelm her, even though Piper already knows very well where this is going.

That flutter in her belly rises in her chest making her heart stutter out of its rhythm and slam against her ribcage.

And that is without taking in consideration the look that Alex gives her a moment later, when she takes a tentative step forward and Piper is instantly thrown back to that moment that they have shared standing so close to one another, and to all that happened that morning in her office when the raven-haired woman has _surprised_ her with an unannounced visit.

"Or..." Alex pauses. "We could start from here and I could... introduce you to the first part of what I had in mind for today. What I had _planned_ just for you."

 _Planned just for you._

Piper can actually feel those words echo in her veins, course through her body and make every nerve ending buzz, as in preparation for something that she can't quite picture or anticipate, but that actually sounds already so promising, making her head spin with all the infinite possibilities hiding under that thin veil of mystery that start flashing in her mind.

Because, of course, Alex must have put quite some thought into all of this.

It's _her job,_ after all. And she has shown to be as diligent in executing it as Piper herself is with her own, doesn't matter the difference of profession.

And who knows what that mind, that seems to appear more and more intriguing (layered with a flawless, natural charm, sprinkled with wit and covered in professionalism) with each second she spends in the raven-haired woman's company, has come up with for the occasion...

The elements of unknown and surprise alone are already so high that they almost risk to overwhelm her already excitedly thrumming heart, only, this time, she has no intention to give in and let that feeling swallow her whole.

Without diverting those stunning emerald eyes from hers, Alex extract an electronic key from her slack's pocket and unlocks the door they have stopped right in front of, and Piper finds herself sucking a sharp inhale when the door buzzes open and she is met with the sight of the wonderful, elegantly arranged room meant to satisfy whatever kind of fantasy.

The first thing that she notices though, is that it's not the same room she has seen the first time, the one she has been thinking- _fantasizing_ about, along with all the possibilities it held for so many of those fantasies that she has never started to take into proper consideration until she came here.

The surroundings and arrangement, however, is very similar. Same furniture, same type of canopy bed. A spacious room altogether, but not too much, resembling a junior suite, and she might wonder what _use_ could have the chair in the corner, facing the bed in diagonal, but her attention is drawn to the fact that there are much less... items, respect all of the ones that she had noticed resting on the shelves or hung ordinately on the walls, that had immediately caught her attention that first night during the tour.

The essential, however, is all there.

She looks at the perfectly made, seemingly very comfortable bed resting against the front wall, looking just as the stage where many of those fantasies she has could be explored. Some types of restraints, just like a few toys, are here kept in a small, wooden showcase against the wall on the left of the bed, containing just a few, basic items and general models.

On top of one of the nightstands, there are a few thick glasses containing what are probably scented candles with a soothing fragrance, and a couple of bottles of water.

Even without some more... advanced equipment, the room looks very inviting. It also seems to have been arranged and dusted off recently, and the thought that Alex - considering how dedicated and thoughtful the woman seems to be - might have prepared it specifically, _personally,_ for today's appointment, _for her_ , and chosen deliberately one that didn't hold all of those distracting (some even a bit intimidating) items, with the consideration of not risking overwhelming her (again) is...

Is the further motivation that pushes past what might even have been a lump of nervousness forming in the space between her chest and throat, preventing her from breathing properly.

If she has decided to come here, risking of being drowned under the storm, is because there is a reason.

A far more honest one besides wanting to apologize for the delay and not calling ahead to inform Alex about it because she couldn't find her phone.

 _No..._

She came- _ran_ here, under a freaking _storm_ , even made a scene upon entering in the conditions she did, because she _hoped_ it wouldn't be too late to start what she has been spending the past few days thinking about. Anticipating, wondering, fantasizing...

"That's it, if you are interested and in the mood to continue, of course." Alex's voice rings out from her thoughts, and Piper blinks back into focus, realizing that Alex must have added that part in afterthought after probably noticing the way she has unconsciously started chewing pensively on the inside of her bottom lip while glancing inside the room.

When she looks back up at Alex however, who has been a quiet, patient presence beside her until now, all while she examined the room and its content, that emerald gaze is open and holding that deep assurance that reminds Piper that this is only the first sessions, after all, one meant to show her some... basics, as Alex has called them, and...

From somewhere she is going to start, _eventually._

And an amateur like her could use some basics before she can start fantasizing about some more explicit, advanced things, like how it would feel be restrained by the leather cuffs or ropes that she has seen hung on the walls, where her gaze had been drawn to that first night during the tour.

Sure, starting like this, after the way she stumbled in isn't ideal. But... all things considered, there isn't a standard procedure to follow for when it comes to something as unconventional as joining a sex club now, is it?

She already had her answer before Alex opened the door and she glanced inside the room. She had her answer even when she stumbled in here half an hour ago, wet and annoyed and so deeply embarrassed. But she only manages to push past that last when she meets Alex's gaze again and sees the calm, reassuring patience in those emerald eyes.

And Piper knows that if she would say no, if she would say that she appreciates the offer but is no longer in the mood, Alex would accept so without even trying to persuade her with some of her charm.

But that's not even an option.

A surge of confidence came from who knows where makes her straighten up a bit and, at last, a firm, certain, unwavering "Yes," is the answer that falls from her lips with ultimate conviction. "I am." She says. "And I would still like to."

And it feels _so_ good saying it out loud and accepting the tidal-wave of flutters that start in her stomach as something that _belongs_ there, but what is even better, what makes that buzzing feeling spread all the way up to her chest, is the dazzling smile that Alex gives her.

"Well, all right then." The raven-haired woman says with a nod, looking quite pleased (and most importantly convinced) by the certainty held in her voice.

However, an interrupting _"But..."_ follows, just when Piper - possessed by this new, relentless, thrilling eagerness - tries to step inside the room, halting her along with the soft hand that comes to rest gently on her shoulder. And the touch, for how delicate and light, even just feeling it through the thick bathrobe, is enough to send a shiver down her arm that travels for the entire length of her spine.

It's all probably because she didn't expect it, that's all. And that's what she tells herself dismissingly when she turns back to Alex with a mix of confusion and something akin to trepidation.

"Before we go in," The raven-haired woman calmly starts. "I want to make sure you have all of the main rules in mind."

Oh... _Right._

Piper features shapes instantly into realization. Because _of course..._

 _Safety first._

She is starting to get that about Alex.

Which is just as reassuring as the prospect of actually starting all of this is a bit intimidating, but in that thrilling way that is making her entire body buzz and her skin heat up, prickling with anticipation.

"I know you have already read and signed the contract," Alex acknowledges. "But I just want to remind you that you have to tell me to stop, if you haven't picked a safe word of your own yet - whether I'm doing, or saying, something, _anything_ you are not comfortable with, or to just tell me to slow down if you need to recover a bit longer before going further." It's then that that deep, slightly husky voice takes an edge of warning, as does the expression on her face, becoming far more serious, enough to erase completely the traces of humor that have been there just a few minutes ago, crinkling her eyes and making them sparkle so brightly.

"Is that clear?" Alex asks her then in conclusion with that same, unyielding seriousness, and sure... Piper, was already aware of such... safety approach. Alex had stressed it to her with a particular weight, and yet, the need of the raven-haired woman to remind her of those basic, fundamental rules, is what makes her take them even more seriously.

"Yes, of course, Alex." She answers at last, with no trace of doubt in her firm, clear reply shadowing what is her definitive confirmation. And it's just then, upon uttering her name, that she sees something flash across Alex's face. Like an instant reminder of something else very much important, and Piper is proven right that it wasn't just an impression she's had when Alex warns her with, "One more thing..."

"Once we get in, you aren't going to call me by my name."

And there is it.

The little gate meant to separate the professional from the personal, or at least to give the illusion of such thing. Instantly reminding Piper of that _"we are going to discuss how you are going to call me during the sessions"_ part that Alex had anticipated to her the other day in her office when she signed the contract.

"Inside this room," Alex informs her. "You are going to address me as _your Mistress._ Understood?"

Something authority laced with power takes over Alex's deep voice then, which seems to have dropped a few notes even lower than usual, something that is also found in her piercing green gems, holding that same demand for attention and... maybe even respect.

And Piper honestly has no idea what she was going to hear, but is left utterly unable to divert her gaze from those deep stunning emerald pools now shimmering with a new light and purpose that makes her knees grow weak and her breath grow shallower.

But that doesn't prevent her from answering.

"Y-yes." She replies, and she doesn't mean to stutter, but it takes some effort for her voice to come out and push past the thrum of her heart stuck in her throat and pulsating in her ears.

Alex, however, even when provided with a clear answer, just looks at her with an arched, unimpressed, and very expectant eyebrow.

"Yes, _What?_ " She asks, and this time, it actually sounds more like a demand than a simple question. But as if on instinct or maybe even just intuition that part of subconscious straining and pushing through the nervousness provides Piper with the right, most proper answer.

She swallows, thickly, but there is not enough moisture in her mouth to prevent her voice from coming out so uncharacteristically raspy and deep when she answers with a clearer and explicit, "Yes... _Mistress._ "

That's all it takes to make Alex grin. Slow and predatory. And the sight of that smile compared with the way that role falls so easily from her lips and actually uttering it has on her doesn't help one bit with the rampant storm of emotions battling for supremacy inside her as viciously as storm raging outside.

"You are an intuitive fast learner," Alex says approvingly, complimentary even, as if it's a characteristic that to her appears even more... promising. "That's going to make things interesting." She says, and just like that, after gesturing her to step inside with a gallant "After you" that is probably going to be one of the last invitations of this late afternoon coming so politely from the ever more intriguing raven-haired woman, Piper finally steps in.

"Now," Alex tells her. "You are going to lay down on the bed."

Piper is used in _giving_ orders, her entire job is based on keeping afloat her own company and make sure that it grows and expands at best. A goal that demands a firm, inflexible hand with her subordinates.

She is not used to _receiving_ them. She hasn't taken orders from anyone for a very long time.

And yet... there is something so paradoxically liberating in the way Alex gives her that one, looking at her right in the eyes, seeing her like a woman wearing just a bathrobe and a pair of disposable pink flip flops inside this room, and not like the powerful businesswoman filled with duties and worries and investment plans that she has left outside the front door of the club.

In here, she is stripped of all her obligations. This is part of the whole point that also persuaded her in trying all of this.

So, on her still slightly shaky legs, she approaches the bed and obeys, thrilled by the refreshing feeling it brings her being told what to do for once in this safe environment where there is no judging.

She wonders how Alex has managed to get her here, like this, when they where flawlessly bantering and joking barely a couple of minutes earlier down the hallway.

But then she realizes that this is probably what makes her so successful. What has made of her club the most famous and most frequented one in the whole city for its... _typology._

Because Alex's charming, alluring, captivating personality paired with her persuasion skills and the quality of the personalized services that she offers, are... simply irresistible and probably, most likely, incomparable.

The electronic lock of the door clicks shut, and now, it's only them, alone, in this dimly lit room.

And Piper tries not to shiver too visibly when Alex approaches her with that feline-like light steps, that predatory look, and gazes at her up and down with those green gems glimmering with approval, praising her for her obedience with that low, deep, _oh so sweetly_ husky voice that to her ears, even from a distance, sounds almost like a purr.

"Good girl."

* * *

 **I know what you guys are thinking. "Ugh, she did it again! What a tease!" Believe it or not, this isn't made on purpose, this is not me being my usual teasing self, I've actually considered whether it would be better just get it all down in one go or "split" this in two parts. And I know you have all been waiting for their first session to just "come already!" but this chapter is already long as it is, and there is a very specific way I want their "first time" to happen, so rushing through the "Vauseman first time together fest" wasn't an option, and making a dreadfully long chapter loaded with contents and all the emotional weight it comes with would have made it even heavier. So I prefer doing it in two parts. Also because Piper is like an excitable puppy right now, who needs the proper, patient, attentive training and, who knows, maybe could use some discipline as well ;) Speaking of, I remember someone asking if Piper could** _ **maybe please**_ **have called Alex her "Mistress" during the sessions.** _ **That**_ **was** _ **never**_ **going to be a "maybe". I thought you knew me enough by now to automatically assume that I sure was going to get into such dynamic given the circumstances :P Anyway, sorry to be leaving you hanging like this, but... just be a little more patient you guys, okay? Just a little bit :D**


	7. Chapter 7

Hello there!

Ah, you guys... Some of you could really use some discipline indeed :P You are _so_ impatient! It's still quite flattering though having received so many wonderful comments and just as many requests for an update, but you guys have to understand that I can't possibly write a chapter this long in half an hour. Maybe there are writers that can, but I'm not that skilled. I need time, sometimes a week, sometimes a bit longer. So you can beg all you want but if the chapter isn't ready, it simply ain't ready and I'm not posting it :P I'm still very flattered though by the amounts of requests, but I also appreciate, very much so, those kind few readers that have shown more patience and understand that it can take some time to work on certain chapters. Anyway, thanks to all of you for being so awesome! And now, with no further delay (maybe...? who knows!) I'll leave you to this long-awaited chapter :)

It's probably the longest one I've been working on so far, so... Yeah, grab an apple to snack on and... hold onto your hats! - or wigs :P

Enjoy

* * *

Even though the appointment hasn't started in the best of ways, or at least, not in _the way_ she had planned it, Alex has always gotten a certain thrill in the challenge of adapting to new situations. Especially in _these_ situations. And, so far, with all the little inconveniences and delay left out of the room, things seems to be turning even better, and she knows that - at least in part - the reason why the young woman has gotten so much more relaxed is also due to the minutes that they have spent together in such a light, easy company, before she lead them in this room and offered to make good use of the time remaining for the first session.

When, in front of that first command, Piper obeys her with no question, Alex couldn't be more pleased, even though part of her was maybe expecting some resistance - just at first, and only a little - from the young woman.

She is not disappointed though.

Quite the opposite in fact.

But she is also very aware that power and authority are parts of the blonde, too. Parts that she embodies every day, wearing them like an elegant, form-fitting dress and a perfectly matching accessory, in which she looks quite attractive, but also into which she seems to squirm in certain situations or when in the presence or someone that is not a bunch of her subordinates.

At least that's what Alex has found out on her own, and might even be left a bit (pleasantly) surprised by discovering that alluring strength when she first saw her that time in her co-CEO role at her company. In _her_ territory. _Her_ domain.

But this, right now, _here_... This is _Alex's_ realm. And it's probably that knowledge the reason why the young businesswoman obeys almost instantly, without question, after just a flimsy moment of just as weak hesitation, one that Alex can surely understand.

It's a first step towards baring herself in front of someone, someone who she is getting to know, sure, but who is still mostly a stranger to her, and Alex knows. Because she has already witnessed that half-pause before, such display of a momentary vacillation with first-timers.

But none have ever regained their composure and balance as quickly as Piper does. In the blink of an eye.

And even Alex might be a little more thrilled at the prospect of starting this session than she expected to feel.

Ever since she started taking into consideration the possibility to pick up the whip again - so to speak - a sense of nostalgia has been nibbling at her. Bits of many different occasions, brought up even just by her presence in this room as one of two (sometimes even three) protagonists, stir some very pleasant memories, but...

There is _something more_ than that...

Something that actually makes her skin tingle at the prospect of re-embracing the role that she has had to abandon in order to take more care of her other duties as co-owner. And she has a feeling that the young, eager, curious blonde woman laying now of the bed and waiting patiently with a similar, visible excitement, might be part of that main reason.

After all, Alex reasons, this is also _her own_ first time (since a long while, at least) too. And what's best than getting back to this world in first person with someone so eager, with strong submissive inclinations, a long list of interesting fantasies, and another one just as long about practices that she would be willing to try?

It just makes her all the more determined to enjoy every single minute of those that they still have left from this session. And even though she had something already planned for the blonde, something that she had to discard due to the lack of time, she already knows, _precisely,_ how she is going to... expend such precious time.

"You know," She starts, almost conversationally, yet careful to keep her voice that note lower and her tone a bit firmer as she puts away the electronic key, this time in the little front pocket of her vest while slowly approaching the bed, where the young woman lays, fingers twitching at her sides, fidgeting with the bedsheets, searching for a way to cool down that level of anticipation combined with that healthy dose of trepidation, all brought by the thickening sense of unknown that Alex exploits, deliberately emphasizing it with strategic long pauses.

"Usually, when someone arrives here late at an appointment, the first thing on the table..." She says, but instead of walking towards the bed, she takes a detour, approaching the showcase, and watching through the glass two particular items meant for a very specific practice.

A sense of longing nibs at her from the inside, making her fingers twitchy at the idea of opening the cabinet and pick up one of those two objects.

She resists, and turns towards the bed to meet Piper's gaze instead.

"...is punishment."

The look that crosses the young woman's face as she concludes doesn't certainly go unnoticed.

Alex takes it all it. Archives every little twitch of nervous fingers playing with the bed sheets, every little stutter in her breathing, but mostly the way those eyes, usually a blue as limpid as a summer sky, have suddenly turned many shades darker.

With a certain reluctance, she steps away from the showcase, leaving behind the riding crop displayed there, and that she made sure Piper saw her looking at it.

Honestly, receiving that look is almost enough to make her reconsider the option.

It's hard to resist the temptation to turn back towards the cabinet and open it to retrieve either the crop or the whip. Her palm itch so pleasantly just at the idea of holding the familiar leather handle. _But..._

"But I think I'll show a bit of clemency with you today," She explains forgivingly. "Given the extraordinaire circumstances and also considering that this is your first time after all. And I wouldn't want to... _overwhelm you_."

The flash of disappointment that crosses Piper's face is unmistakable and yet, her entire frame seems to relax a little. Contrasting emotions play at both ends, pulling her somewhere in between relief and discontentment. And, for a moment, Alex almost expects (kind of even hopes maybe) to hear her protest. Piper's lips even part, but then she closes them again, swallowing thickly.

"However," Alex continues before she can re-think about this whole much _gentler_ approach. Because even though she hasn't planned to, doesn't matter how tempted she might have gotten now, especially upon seeing the expression on Piper's face when her gaze has shifted to that very specific item resting in the showcase, which might be an even further encouragement for Alex to retrieve it - she has no intention of getting into anything particularly intense for this first time. But it's also true _that..._

"It's still part of my duty to make sure you know _exactly_ what is in store if you run late again and do not call ahead to inform me about it."

This time, much to her immense surprise, her "reprimand" earns her something more than just a guilty look.

"I-I was going to," The blonde protests in a rushed, awkward, defensive sputter. "B-but I couldn't find-"

For how entertaining it would be watching and hearing the young woman stumble once again all over her justification about the missing phone for a second time, Alex is not the one here who has to be entertained.

"Nuh uh." She promptly halts Piper with a disapproving click of her tongue. "I don't remember asking you to give me an excuse now." She tells her before arching a questioning, almost challenging eyebrow. "Or did I?"

Piper's mouth snaps shut obediently and her throat visibly bobs when she swallows one more time, even more thickly. But the newly provided moisture does nothing for her voice, which still comes out a bit raspy when she speaks.

"N-no," The blonde answers, only to correct herself an instant later with a more proper and much firmer "No, Mistress." even before Alex can give her a pointed look.

Hearing the flustered young woman correct herself so quickly makes it almost impossible for Alex to suppress the smirk that tugs at the corner of her mouth. But she also knows that showing how pleased she is with the blonde for remembering that rule about how to properly address her, in a way, is just another kind of... positive reinforcement.

Still, she can't deny her a proper praise, especially not in this crucial first phase of... _Adaptation._

A simple, slightly purred "very good" works quite well.

"Now however," She continues, approaching the nightstand. "Unless you want to interrupt me again, I intend to show you how I, personally, used to handle latecomers like yourself."

With that, she reaches for the box of matches resting on top of the bedside table. She snaps one, strikes it, and uses it to light up one of the green tea scented candles that she had set there earlier when she was tidying up and preparing the room.

"I am going to take my time as well now," She stresses, extinguishing the match before getting onto the bed, reveling in the way the young woman's eyes seem to darken even further, turning almost into a midnight black when she concludes, deliberately lowering her voice even further until it resembles a deep, warning growl. "And I'm going to deliberately delay something that will make you _beg_ for me to finish."

 **. . .**

Alex climbs on the bed with all the lightness and elegance of a feline.

As predatory as a panther that has caught and cornered a tasty appetizer, and yet, also, somehow just as... playful as a domestic cat in the way she approaches her, quietly, slowly, stealthily as is a cat's nature. Savoring that moment of anticipation that is making Piper quiver with a dizzying mix of impatience and trepidation.

So torturous, and yet so unbelievably delightful all at once.

The calming smell of green tea and citrus lifting from the lit candle, for how pleasant in its subtlety, does very little to help her get a hold of her nerves.

If Alex's intention is to create suspense, she is definitely succeeding in rendering her a bit anxious, too, but... in the best of ways she didn't know such feeling could be experienced like. The kind that promises some glorious reward that'll make the excruciating wait so very worth it.

The tone in that deep, gently husky voice carries the heaviness of warning, one that it's delivered in full, but also one that her body - and more specifically her excitedly thrumming nerves - don't receive in the way her mind does upon hearing it. And that's probably because of how that tone clashes, in complete contrast, with the way those eyes, those stunning green gems - now turned a few shades darker (enough to have swallowed the flecks of gold that Piper might have noticed in a few occasions shimmering at the bottom of those lakes) maybe because of the dim lighting in the room - hold so much purpose, so many promises, and a silent reassurance that says everything about the raven-haired woman's intention and commitment in making all of this so very, _very_ enjoyable for her.

The extremely comfortable foam mattress barely dips under Alex's weight, and when she settles just beside herself, elegantly propped on one elbow, legs just as casually crossed in front of the other, the first thing that Piper senses (even before registering the heat of that body now resting so close to her own and that makes her skin tingle all over with the new source of warmth) is that whiff that she catches in the air when the new, very close proximity makes her inhale a sharp breath through her nose.

She has been working with fragrances, experimenting with them, researching for new, exotic combinations since her R&D base of operation was limited to the countertop and stoves of her own kitchen in the old little apartment she lived during her college years.

But there is something in that equally tart and sweet smell, with that fresh hint that tickles at Piper's olfactory memory and makes her recognize it quite easily as white musk. So very delicate. It smooths out those other fragrances and balances them all together oh so perfectly, making of that scent something just... so utterly unique.

Which is quite fitting actually, considering that she has never met someone as intriguing as the woman who wears such perfume, now laying just beside her.

That intoxicating scent throws her back of a couple of weeks. Of when she first smelled it so closely.

A blend of orange blossoms and mature blackberries that had filled her lungs right before she tasted tea and honey and cinnamon - so pleasantly, slightly spicy - on her lips and tongue.

The reminder alone makes her mouth water and her breath catch a little in her chest when she tries to breathe a bit more slowly.

But while she might be able to control her breathing, there is no way to will her heart to return to a more acceptable rhythm that won't have it knock right against her ribcage, longing to free itself, burst right out of her chest with the force of all the emotions swelling inside it just upon remembering that kiss.

It becomes even harder, practically close to impossible, try to get a hold on anything that is happening inside of her when she sees Alex glance up and down her body with that look of contemplation. With that appreciating gaze dragging over every inch of her, taking her all in, as if picturing what she can't see just yet because of the bathrobe obscuring the view, with an intensity that makes another spark flare deep down in Piper's belly.

"I have to say," The sound of that deep, slightly husky voice only feeds that hungry, devouring flame. "I'm a bit disappointed by the attire." It's what Alex confesses, but before Piper can deflate and squirm a bit self-consciously at the unexpected comment and reminder of the bathrobe and the whole ordeal that brought her to wear it, the raven-haired woman speaks again, and this time, she offers her what is both a surprising, but also a not-so-unexpected compliment. "You have excellent tastes in clothing. You always look great in your professional attire. I appreciate immensely that kind of personal care. And... I admit that I would have deeply enjoyed rolling down the fine stockings you usually wear from these _fabulous_ legs of yours."

The comment is accompanied by an even more blatant, thorough glance of unmistakable appreciation down her naked legs, and now... now Piper knows for sure.

She has the ultimate confirmation that she hadn't just imagined Alex showing a certain... _interest_ in them during the couple of occasions they have spent more privately.

For how... odd, receiving that bit of information, hearing Alex compliment her... assets... out loud as if she has been meaning to do so for some time, gives this little yet powerful boost to her ego. And the swelling of confidence in her chest is distracting enough that it even helps in quieting down the turmoil of emotions still battling within her.

"But..." Alex continues, and just by uttering that simple word she also manages to re-ignite that sense of trepidation. "I'll also admit that I might be kind of pleased by the much easier access that the robe allows this way."

That's all the warning Piper gets before Alex's hand reaches out, settling on her mid-thigh, just where the bathrobe's hem has ridden up when she was laying down on the bed.

The touch alone, warm and so soft, but with that same firm confidence that Piper can feel being at the core of the gesture itself, is enough to send a shiver racing up her spine, raising goosebumps in its wake.

It's not the first time she has felt Alex's hand there. But the skin-on-skin contact, without even the flimsy layer of stockings to make the thinnest barrier, transforms that shiver into something more similar to a fuse that scalds her skin so sweetly until her entire body is lit up like a torch. Alive, reactive, and oh so ready for whatever is about to come next.

If she thought that the shower she took earlier had been the kind of warmth that she needed to get rid of the cold that had seeped into her bones under the rain, it's nothing compared to what that touch manages to melt and ignite inside of her.

The knot made with the thread of tension and nervousness and excitement that has been stuck so stubbornly in that space between her chest and throat, starts to unfurl. And maybe she would have been surprised to realize that it's just because of that touch alone...

...if it wasn't for how much she has been yearning to feel it. Yearning for Alex to touch her with nothing in between, ever since that moment in her office where the thinnest layer of stockings have been in the way between her core and those long fingers that are now trailing up the inside of her thigh, following the same familiar path that Piper still remembers and has replayed in her mind, along with that passionate kiss that left her feeling dizzy for entire minutes, more times than she'll never admit.

Alex's eyes find hers, so dark with the rawest purpose, and Piper's nerves might still be thrumming with the tendrils of that nervousness she doesn't think she'll be able to shake off completely just yet - even if the much more fiercely burning desire is managing to keep at bay the rest - but, almost out of their own volition, her hands reach for the bathrobe belt, and with just a little fumbling, she manages to untie that loose knot, letting the robe fall open ever so slightly as she half turns on her side, bending her other leg at the knee and granting a much easier... access, for that hand slowly trailing up the inside of her thigh.

It might have taken courage, and she might have used a great deal of that burst of confidence that has swelled in her upon hearing Alex compliment her so openly and so sincerely. But the best reward for being so bold, for showing such initiative, is the smirk; the sly little smile that stretches slowly on the raven-haired woman's lips, until it grows into a full grin that reaches her eyes with that same intriguing, sharp predatory fashion.

"Well..." Alex comments. "This is definitely the best invitation I've gotten all day."

She looks surprised, but at the same time she _doesn't_ so much, but she is definitely, unequivocally, immensely pleased, especially when she finally reaches the juncture of her thigh and then, if possible, that grin widens even further.

"And the warmest welcome I've received, too." The raven-haired woman adds in that low purr that, combined with the proximity of that soft, warm hand so close to her core, makes Piper _quiver_ with want.

Just a few inches (and Alex's insufferable, deliberate slow approach) keep them apart. But even without actually touching her directly is quite easy to tell, from the slick, warm moisture that has leaked out of her and smeared onto her thigh, that she is "So wet already."

The comment leaves Alex's lips like a mumbled growl. Like a thought that she has allowed pronouncing out loud just to watch her shiver some more at the bare explicitness of that remark itself.

There is just something in hearing it out loud that is _just_...

Of course, Piper already knew it.

She was very well aware of exactly how wet she's gotten in the past few minutes.

 _Embarrassingly so._

And it's with that same embarrassment flaring once more up her neck and on her cheeks with a vengeance that she realizes that she's gotten this aroused by simply remembering the... very private, intimate moment that she and Alex have shared that morning in her office, on her desk. But also by just listening to Alex's voice right now, while the raven-haired woman talked to her, gave her orders, and, most of all... praised her... for her obedience.

Alex surely is quite the eloquent type.

She has her way with words.

A unique... _skill,_ in eliciting reactions just by using them that Piper would have never expected to experience. And definitively not with _such_ intensity from her body.

Maybe it's a natural talent. Or maybe - most likely - Alex has seen and understood something about her that Piper herself has never figured out on her own, and is exploiting this new-found information at the best of her very expert capabilities.

"You have been thinking about this, haven't you?"

Having that question been thrown at her so suddenly makes Piper's cheeks flare instantly into an even brighter, warmer shade of pink. But the little, subtle smirk that shapes Alex's lips and reaches those green eyes making them sparkle as if she already knows the answer, is what makes Piper feel as if she might actually be combusting from the inside out.

Because she _has_ been thinking about it.

In all the vivid details.

And has grown increasingly more frustrated each time her hand had slid under the waistband of her panties in an attempt to imagine how it would have felt, how it would have been like if that morning in her office they hadn't been interrupted by her assistant.

The question if Alex would have actually touched her, is one that still lingers in her mind. But she doesn't let that doubt spoil what might as well have become a new fantasy to add to the list.

Despite that knowing look glimmering onto those emerald lakes, however, Alex is clearly waiting to hear a proper answer from her. One that Piper - despite the new, scalding layer of embarrassment mingling even more dangerously with an even stronger surge of desire stirring deep down in her lower belly - doesn't delay to provide after struggling to regain some of her composure back - or as much of it as possible given the circumstances and the very distractive way that hand inches closer to her sex, making it quite difficult to focus on anything that isn't the increasing need to feel the pressure of those tingling fingers directly against her core but with a much firmer purpose.

She doesn't particularly trust her voice right now, but she has this nagging feeling that not answering would earn her something much worse than a mere look of disappointment. And, ultimately, not knowing what Alex would do with her if she doesn't, it's what motivates her the most, what makes her push past that anxiousness knotted in her chest and answer.

"Y-yes, Mistress." She admits at last, and, once more, just as unexpectedly as it happened the first time, in the moment she utters that truth out loud, just when she thought that embarrassment would have been all that awaited her, she gets instantly welcomed by that same unbelievably soothing, comforting wave of coolness that blows the heat of embarrassment far away.

That confession doesn't bring any trace of humiliation.

Because Alex didn't ask her that question to mock her, she is not here to shame her or judge her. Alex is here to help her open up and to satisfy those fantasies she has. And admitting that one that has been playing in her mind for a few weeks now, fills her with this... oddly empowering feeling that gives her the illusion to have a firmer hold of her own desire and more control of herself.

What really helps in making that surprising comfort seep deep into her though, is (once again) the smile she gets rewarded with for being "So honest" as Alex comments, looking oh so very pleased by her sincerity indeed.

But she is going to need something more than a smile of approval with the hand inching closer to where she is starting to throb with need.

"Don't worry," The raven-haired woman assures her then as if reading her mind, or - just like she has given proof of being so incredibly able to do so with such ease - reading her body is the case maybe, given the way she is barely holding herself back from rocking her hips to encourage that hand to hike higher up her thigh. "I intend to do something about _this_."

To emphasize her point, finally, suddenly, Alex erases those few inches of distance left and presses her palm right between her legs, cupping her sex. And Piper might have been waiting impatiently for it, but she is not one bit prepared for how it feels like having those long, teasing fingers slide along each side of her already swollen clit, applying a gentle pressure, that for how gentle and thoughtful it's really all it takes to make her eyes flutter shut and roll onto the back of her head, for a moan to rise from her chest and tumble past her lips, and, at last, for her hips to jerk forward with an instinct of their own, searching for more of that wonderful pressure as the rest of her body shudders with the current of electricity brought by the powerful, shocking charge of that first touch.

She thought- _No._ She was _sure,_ that some relief was surely awaiting her in the moment Alex would have cut through those last few inches and cupped her in her hand like she just did.

But when that silent wish is granted to her, and that firm palm and those deft fingers finally come in direct contact with her core, the sudden, sharp ache that pulses between her legs makes Piper instantly realize that the touch, for how much comforting, is not going to bring any kind of relief on its own.

How naive of her to believe such thing even if just for a minute.

She needs _movement._

And she needs it _now._

"Mhm, that's right," Alex tells her and with the ache throbbing at the apex of her thighs, Piper is becoming less impressed with the woman's incredible ability in reading her so easily that it would be concerning weren't she so deeply grateful for those observation skills right now.

"I'm going to take care of you." She promises and even though that's all Piper wanted to hear, she can't help but notice the little glint shining into those emerald eyes when Alex tells her that, mirrored even in the smile that starts tugging ever so slightly at her lips, holding what is indeed a promise... But spiced with an unmistakable, worrying drop of mischief.

A dangerous duo that makes the smirk stretching on those rosy lips look even more devious.

And this time, it's Piper the one proven right almost immediately by such impression.

Because, true to the intentions kept in her words, Alex doesn't delay her promise any longer. But the rhythm with which she starts touching her is slow.

Turtorusly so.

Definitely not with the thoughtful intention of getting her accustomed to the touch standing behind the reason why.

But Piper shouldn't have expected anything less given the warnings she has received so explicitly and very clearly just a couple of minutes ago.

After all, this is supposed to be part of her punishment for the delay, she reminds herself.

But that is one of the lasts few coherent thoughts her mind manages to assemble together, because soon enough, a haze, made of desire, starts enveloping the rest of her senses, clouding anything else that isn't the nerves endings between her legs and Alex's patient fingers moving through the wetness that has already started gathering more abundantly there.

Because the pace might be unbearably slow, Alex touches her like she has all the time in the Universe, but the movement, the pressure of fingers against her clit, rubbing it in full, precise circles, is what balances the beginning of this torture made much more bearable by the reminder of all promises to come, rendering it so exquisite in its unique way.

 _Weeks._

She has spent _weeks_ thinking, wondering, _fantasizing_ about how Alex would have touched her.

How those fingers would have felt on her, inside her, and God... Now, even if some torture is what she must endure to find out, she is more than willing to do it.

Even if she has to hold back. Even if her muscles start to stiffen up again with the effort to do so. Even if keeping her hips from rolling, and biting into her bottom lip with self-restraint becomes almost painful.

She can sustain it. But... it's not something that passes unnoticed by the always so observant raven-haired woman.

"Patience. I have every intention to get you there." Alex assures, slowing down the movement of her hand between her legs just to get enough of her attention, even if the loss of a more consistent touch is almost enough to make Piper whimper with need.

"But before I do that," The raven-haired woman continues. "I want to show you that sex can be something much more than mere release."

Piper's heart does a flip in her chest, jumping halfway up her throat upon hearing that.

"Just relax, and breathe." Alex simply instructs her then and... Maybe it's the way her head has grown so light, her mind foggy almost, but... There is something so incredibly soothing in that deep voice.

Something warm and syrupy reflected also in that hinted smile that tugs ever so slightly at those perfect rosy lips, that seeps deep inside of her and, even though Piper couldn't believe it possible, just the sound of it, so sweetly husky and low, and the sight of that softer, mischief-free smile, is enough to make her body obey and quiet down the harsh, vicious demand for more pulsing greedily between her thighs.

The muscles on her back and shoulders start to relax as she follows the advice and exhales a long stuttered breath through her nose.

"That's better." Alex praises her again, with that same pleased purr that, combined with the feeling of her resuming drawing those delightful, full circles that are as precise as they are also unbelievably maddening, sends a string of even more powerful shivers down her spine.

"Good girl."

However, when at the next breath her eyes flutter shut and don't open right away but remain closed as she takes a moment longer to appreciate and focus on that touch, on how it stirs the desire curled up in her lower belly, that's when she gets reprimanded.

"Don't close your eyes..."

There has been that note of command in Alex's tone since the moment they have stepped foot into this room. And yet, there is that... unexpected return of a certain softness in her voice that maybe hasn't ever left it, just got subdued in order to get into this... character she is playing, and Piper, taken hostage as she has been by the turmoil of emotions raging inside of her, that she hasn't noticed it as strongly as she does right now, when those words are uttered. Not like a command. But more like a request. A reassurance. Once that Alex delivers in full, along with the most compelling truth of all.

"There is no reason for you to hide here."

She wasn't trying to do that. At least she doesn't believe so. Although... _at an unconscious level maybe..._ she can't say for sure.

She has never shared something like this with anyone before.

No one of her previous excuses of lovers has ever taken the time to touch her like this, to watch her, learn her, like Alex is taking immense, sincere interest in doing and in making sure to archive every single reaction she manages to elicit from her currently incredibly responsive body.

This is all new for her, and she can't exclude that being watched might make her feel a bit squirmy even if a part of her (that same part that is starting to stir more loudly within her along with that need tightened like a spring coil deep down in her belly) feels a certain, unexpected... _thrill_ at the novelty.

The assurance of having no reason to hide only increases that feeling, and she must admit that the comfort that such assurance brings is a lot better and much more welcoming than the darkness of the back of her own eyelids.

It still takes her some courage though, or maybe it's just adaptation in having someone touch her and watch her like this, with all the patience in the world, like not even Piper herself has taken the luxury to do; never indulged with such thorough care.

She tries not to think that Alex is actually paid, _handsomely paid,_ to... provide this service to her, and just savors the moment as it is, getting closer to the answer of what sex, based on what Alex was telling her, is about.

Alex honestly looks like she could keep going at this speed forever. And, for how enjoyable (in a twisted kind of way) it feels to experience this slow torture, Piper isn't sure if she would be able to endure this for the same amount of time, especially knowing the sweet reward waiting for her once she reaches the peak. The same one she has been yearning for and hasn't been able to reach on her own for way too long.

She has weeks of pent-up release locked inside of her.

But even with the frustration of way too many unsatisfying orgasms weighting on her resolution, she has every intention to try to resist for as long as she can, and, most of all, she is going to savor it as thoroughly as Alex's touch itself, doesn't matter how much closer to insanity it brings her each little brush of those fingers circling her throbbing clit with the uttermost precision.

But teasing that little, sensitive bundle of nerves with that thorough circling motion it's not all Alex limits herself to do.

The raven-haired woman alternates between different touches displaying all the same expertise. Managing to make her crave more of every single alternative she comes up with, making her gasp and twitch and shudder whenever those fingers slide along each side of her and squeeze, rubbing and milking that tiny shaft while the tips curl and press ever so slightly against her entrance.

Piper can't even tell if the second half of that gesture is deliberate or not.

It's already incredibly distracting and just as unbelievably frustrating feeling that exquisite pressure there only to have Alex pull away in the same instant her hips rock forward, demanding for more.

But she believes she knows the (quite obvious) answer to that question when she sees that knowing little smile tugging at those full, generous rosy lips when Piper lets her legs fall slightly more open as a further invitation.

It's fruitless.

Not even the sight of her bathrobe falling down one side and revealing more of her navel and part of her breast for the new position is enough to convince Alex to grant her what she so obviously needs.

Those teasing fingertips return once again to her clit, even slicker than a few moments ago, and Piper finds herself stifling a moan when they resume that equally delightful and maddening circling motion.

But just like it's happened earlier when she closed her eyes for a moment longer - maybe out of embarrassment for being watched so closely or maybe just for the need to gather some of her composure and focus in order to endure better this exquisite endeavour - as soon as that choked up sound that she tries to suppress in the back of her throat slips from her lips, Alex reprimands her again.

"Let me hear you." The raven-haired woman tells her, and even this time, the way she says it, almost sounds like a request more than an order, even if there is still that note of authority laced in her tone.

"I can't learn you and know what you like most if you hold back," Alex explains to her and Piper might feel this little stutter in her chest in hearing that word, in having the confirmation that this is what Alex is currently doing. _Learning_ her.

"I want to hear how much you are enjoying this," The raven-haired woman tells her, and then, as a further reassurance and encouragement "And if you are concerned that someone might hear you outside this room, don't worry, what happens between these walls doesn't travel outside."

The soundproof rooms are not what surprises Piper. The care and attention for even the smallest details, not to mention the thoughtfulness that Alex puts in keeping things as private and as confidential as possible with her clientele, are yet another trait of professionalism that Piper deeply appreciates in the woman and finds so very alluring. She has no problem admitting that... _to herself._ Just like she has never put in doubt the power of persuasion that Alex possesses.

But it's still remarkable the way Alex manages to catch her concern and reassure them with such ease, with just a few words delivered with all the comfort of an unexpectedly slightly softer tone.

Somewhere, distantly, in that part of her mind that is still somehow able to run coherent-enough-thoughts, Piper can't help but wonder if she was used to taking such approach with all of her contract clients when she worked as a full-time entertainer herself. Or if she has chosen this... tactic, with her, because Piper herself is a woman that relies on the spoken words and knows well the power of them when said with matching strength.

She wouldn't be surprised if it was a request from the client either, because that voice alone is enough to make her feel... many _things._

But she didn't know that the extension of such an approach would have had such a powerful effect on her.

She never imagined that having someone talk to her during something so intimate could make the experience even more _erotic_ than the physical act itself.

 _"Sex is more than just release."_ That phrase echoes in her mind from earlier, and maybe it's because she is slowly getting insane with need and burning up from desire, but she is starting to get that.

She's always been used to silent sex.

Where only the sound of sweat-slick-skin rubbing against skin and the occasional grunt or groan of pleasure would slip out. And, honestly, Piper didn't know what she should have expected from this. Alex hadn't told her anything about how her first encounter was going to be like, what it would have included...

But even if she knew, there is no way she would have been able to prepare herself for this.

Whether Alex actually thought about approaching her like this or is just being her usual self, the effects that this... _method,_ is having on her, is undeniable. And far more intense than what Piper would have skeptically imagined it would be like if she had been told what awaited her.

Something so simple, yet thorough, careful, calculated. A dynamic of push and pull meant to test more than tease, but Alex still manages to do that. Deliberately holding back, keeping just that inch out of her reach what she really needs, and definitely taking so much delight in watching her squirm as she searches that elusive hand, or, at least, that's what the smile that tugs oh so subtly at her lips, spiced with that hint of mischief, is what suggests.

Alex brings her closer and closer towards the edge with those expert brushes across her clit, pressing ever so slightly against her tight, slick entrance, already twitching with the overwhelming need to just feel her push inside already, slowing down when her hips start lifting off the bed in search for more of that exquisite talented touch, trying to take it inside, and increasing the speed that bit more when she manages to hold more still instead.

And Piper _tries_ , she _really_ does, but her patience has a limit, and when it comes to experiencing something like this it's only a matter of time until she can't take it anymore, and her resolution to obey and hold back and prevent her hips from rocking forward more insistently shatters.

The frustration inside her grows tight, like the spring coil nestled in her belly, and as thick as the juices that she can feel run down the inside of her thigh.

Her clit throbs, her insides clench, her skin burns and she is starting to sweat with the effort it takes to not just... reach between her own legs and direct that hand lower, where she so desperately needs it, press those fingers inside herself and ride what she already suspect is going to be an explosive release.

She could do that, sure. But she knows that taking the initiative, this time, isn't going to work. Neither is demanding to be touched like she craves it is going to get her anywhere.

And yet, when she feels those fingers travel lower, sliding between her folds and press much more purposefully - but without actually pushing inside - her hope flares up.

The gesture tears a long moan from her throat accompanied by an instinctive lift of her hips as her eyes flutter shut for a moment, only to be greeted back by the sight of Alex smirking at her when she opens them again.

"You know," She says, thankfully without interrupting or even slowing down the slightly faster rhythm that her hand (mercifully) has picked up. "I'm usually quite intuitive, but if you have a specific request for hints I'm not currently getting... you might want to ask me. _Directly._ " Alex informs her, and it would be concerning knowing that she is so easily readable by someone that is just a bit more than stranger to her, but right now the only thought that seems to flare in Piper's mind is how to obtain what will help in soothing that ache swelling deep inside of her.

"I don't always grant," The raven-haired woman adds warningly. "But... I can be generous. If you present me the question politely enough. And _explicitly._ "

 _Of course._

She even _smiles._

That sly smirk that is as annoying right now, arrogant almost, as it is so utterly, sinfully, ridiculously gorgeous.

She looks so in control, which makes her appear even more attractive than usual. Quite the accomplishment really. And it's just so incredibly infuriating.

Because while she is there whimpering and squirming, Alex knows _exactly_ what she wants, _dammit!_

The same thing she has been thinking about ever since that day in her office.

The same thing she has unsuccessfully tried to re-create just with some memories and adding a bit of her imagination but has never managed to get a satisfying result by herself.

She wants those fingers, those long, talented, deft fingers to push past her opening.

She wants to feel Alex stretch her, thrust inside of her and drag every single shudder of her orgasm out until there will be nothing left of her but a twitching, shivering, slumping, panting wet mess.

The images flashing in her mind combined with the teasing stimulation on her clit - that, for how delightful, is not enough to satisfy that deepest need - is what makes whatever is remaining of her control crumble.

As Alex (not-so-subtly) hinted, there is only one way to convince her.

That stubborn resolution about resisting breaks, shattering for good when she feels those fingers slide lower, slipping so smoothly between her folds, and the tips push in, barely past her tight, clenching opening. She tries to cant her hips forward, but the only thing she is met with, is the resistance of Alex's other hand resting firmly on her waist, preventing her from taking her inside, and forcing yet another whimper of frustration past her lips for the denial.

Piper doesn't beg.

She is a woman of power. A figure of authority for her company. A woman who has realized her dream, built her business with her old friend, created her own fortune with her capabilities alone.

But... not _here._

Inside this club, between these walls, inside this room, onto this _bed_ , Alex is the one that holds those cards.

 _She_ is the authority.

She is the one allowed to order her around.

She is the one who gets to decide when and how and _if_ she's going to make her come.

 _In here,_ Piper is relieved from her usual duties, stripped from any kind of power she knows and usually possesses.

From those worries and that facade that comes along with them and that she has to wear during the rest of the day, every single day.

And _that's_ what makes all of this so liberating.

A part of her is anxious about letting go of that last restraint that she has imposed on herself and that keeps her linked to the world she knows and free-falling into _this_ one instead. But... When her gaze drifts up, finding two piercing green gems gazing right back at her from behind dark-framed glasses, Piper realizes that she is not alone.

Alex is right here to show her the way. To lead her through it.

And the woman might have been testing her to an excruciating limit, but the reassurance of her presence, of knowing that she'll catch her if she shatters in more pieces that she can put together on her own, is what makes her let go of that last string that has been holding onto.

In the moment the first, soft, whimpered _"Please"_ slips past her lips, she is surprised that there is no humiliation awaiting her. But just an unexpected feeling of welcoming liberation that instead of oppressing her with a tinge of heavy shame like she thought it would feel like, lifts her high up, light and free, like she never expected to feel in being so vulnerable, in showing so much need, in asking to be granted what she craves.

But, for how surprisingly comforting it feels like letting go of that part of her, Alex looks anything but impressed by that plea.

"Please _what?_ " The raven-haired woman asks her with that same firm authority that might send another tingle down Piper's spine.

Because of course, for how polite, that word alone it's not even close to being a satisfying request standing there on its own.

Too simple.

Too little articulated.

She can do _much_ better.

"I may grant what you ask for or I could deny it." Alex tells her, as predicted. "Either way, you won't know it until you ask me. _Properly._ "

Easier said than done, truly.

Because even if Piper has let go of anything tying her to the certainties she knows, she soon realizes that her usual eloquence, the one that, along with her intellect, she uses every day to reach and close deals, is not a virtue that she seems to possess right now in these particular, exceptional circumstances.

But the need gnawing in her lower belly and throbbing more and more insistently between her legs, tightening even further that spring coil that is just about to snap inside her, is what makes her gather enough strength to put together just the three words she needs to make her request, and with it, finally embrace in full her role in this dynamic, accepting it with all the obligations it requires, and with it, accepting Alex as her supreme authority.

Freed from that persona that she can never drop in a professional life that is taking too much from her every day, showing a vulnerable needy side of herself that no one has ever seen before and that she wasn't even sure she possessed and was straining to come out like this, she begs Alex again.

"Please," She says, and despite her best efforts in keeping her voice steady and strong, that plea still comes out almost like a needy whine, just like the rest.

"Inside..." She asks then, feeling the light flush of a pleasantly mild embarrassment rise from her chest to tinge her cheeks, scalding them into an even brighter shade of red when she utters the most necessary word of all; the term that, even in the desperate state she's currently drowning onto, she knows it won't give her a chance if her request would lack of it.

"Please, _Mistress._ "

It might be her first session, but she surely has gathered the importance of addressing Alex this way. And the ease with which that title already feels on her tongue and falls just as easily from her lips, as if it belongs there, is surprising in the best, most rewarding way.

Because, considering the way Alex's lips stretch slowly into that sharp grin of approval, Piper believes that she might get her request granted after all.

"So polite." Alex comments. "So well behaved already." And that low praising purr is almost too much to handle. The shivers that run down her spine upon hearing it only seem to add to the swelling tightness in her core that she is trying so desperately to keep at bay.

"I'm going to make it harder for you next time," Alex warns her, and Piper doesn't even dare to breathe for the moment that follows, caught in between anticipation, the pulsing need that is starting to overwhelm the rest of her senses, and the icy doubt that starts settling in her mind that uttering those three words - no matter how much effort it took - might not have been enough for Alex after all.

However, she's never been gladder to be proved wrong and have a doubt soothed like she is when Alex tells her, "But I think you have learned your lesson about what it means getting here late."

And Piper surely has. _God she has!_ She doesn't try again to justify her reasons, having her request granted like this, with no preamble, no delay, no further exploring... is all that matters.

And maybe it's because of the long, insufferable, delightfully painful teasing and push and pull game that Alex has been testing on her for what seems like a short eternity, all with the purpose to put her need in this delicate balance she wanted it to be, but for Piper there is no way to describe how magnificent, gratifying, and glorious it is feeling those long digits abandon her clit only to go lower, rest against her twitching opening, and, at last, press inside her with purpose.

The sob of blissful relief that catches in her throat, stumbling upon her quickening, frantic heartbeat, and all of the emotions that have started to cramp inside her chest, is the most accurate, sincere and primal response that with the shock of electricity that races through her system when she feels Alex's fingertips stretch her entrance, push past it, and slide inside her oh so effortlessly, as a missing piece, fitting within her _as..._

The breath catches in her throat when the tips stroke against a particularly sensitive spot.

 _As if she belongs nowhere else but inside her._

Her body accepts her in with the most natural ease and tightens immediately around her with possessiveness.

Because now that she has her like she has been yearning to feel her for weeks, Piper is not going to give up that blissful fullness stretching her so exquisitely.

 **. . .**

Velvet.

The walls surrounding Piper's core have the most welcoming, velvety quality.

Warm and enveloping and... _tight._

So tight that Alex is left completely unable to move in the slightest when she first, carefully, always considerately despite the more than abundant wetness that she has found pooled there, pushes past the narrow ring of twitching muscles of Piper's entrance.

Her fingers slide inside meeting no resistance. But she has made sure - maybe even too much - that there would have been none to prevent her from pushing inside so easily. And now that she is actually buried as far as she can go, all she can think about, all she can feel, is how incredibly amazing the clinging heat surrounding her feels like.

A groan rumbles in her throat and Piper whimpers besides her, bottom lip caught between her lips, eyes closed and breath coming out shakily from her nose as she tries so hard to adjust to the new intrusion that she might have welcomed a bit too enthusiastically after the long teasing Alex has put her through.

There is so little room that she can barely move at first, but Piper seems to have reached that point where the stretch alone, and that slight painful sting brought doesn't diminish her pleasure but actually adds to it.

"Please," Piper begs her again, and the crack of desperation in her voice paired with the way those blue eyes instantly find her own as soon as she blinks them open, shimmering with overwhelming need, is way too much.

She has been so good, and Alex might have been able to resist for all this time, but upon seeing that look and feeling the matching desperation emanating from Piper's body, feeling the subtle ways it tries to coax her to move... it simply can't be ignored any longer.

Reluctantly, Alex withdraws her fingers from that clinging heat only to thrust them back in, and hearing the shout that gets instantly torn from the blonde's mouth - a little cry mingled with a sob of what is absolute relief - and feeling the way those velvety walls ripple enthusiastically around her at that first thrust, is what breaks whatever restraint she had imposed on herself in order to make this deliberately slow.

In order to get the leverage she needs and the adequate space to allow her hand to move more freely, she reaches out with her other hand and hooks it beneath Piper's knee, bringing her leg towards her and resting it on her waist. And, if the way the blonde immediately scoots even closer and clings onto her vest is anything to go by, she definitely appreciates this new position and the further closeness it brings them.

Piper's fist closes tightly around her vest, but Alex couldn't honestly care less about getting her clothes wrinkled right now when she is surrounded by that distracting, clinging, fluttering heat wrapped so exquisitely around her. It encourages her to reach a bit deeper, and when, at her next thrust, she succeeds, that's when she feels it, along with the way Piper shudders and moans and ripples around her in response when her fingertips brush against a hard, swollen spot resting against the front wall.

Compelled by that string of such intense reactions, and determined to leave behind the teasing, she starts thrusting with much more purpose than before, telling herself that it's because the young woman definitely earned it. She's earned some of the relief that slips past her lips in the form of moans and shallow gasps - and not because Alex herself is actually _unable_ to resist any longer to draw more of those sounds from the twitching blonde already begging her for, "More... _Please,_ more."

And... honestly, Alex would usually demand something more, too. A bit more of explicitness from a submissive client, but she has been teasing Piper for so, so long already that she uses that excuse to pull out only to thrust back inside with the addition of a third finger, and the resulting half-gasp of delight that such decision earns her, definitely doesn't make her regret it.

"Is this what you have truly been thinking about, isn't it?" She can't help but taunt the young woman, giving her just a few seconds to adjust to the new fullness inside her before starting to move. Withdrawing her fingers until only the tips rest inside, before thrusting back in as far as she can go and reveling in the way Piper clings harder onto her, as if needing an anchor to keep her grounded and not get dragged away by the current and waves of her own pleasure, which seems to be growing increasingly higher and more violent. Something that Alex is thrilled to incite further.

"Feeling me inside you _like this?"_

The answer comes right away, as a stuttered, strangled, oh so prettily flushed, _"Y-yes!"_ that might even be the result of the slightly harsher thrust that follows.

The air is quickly getting hot and musky in the little space that they are sharing. She can smell Piper's light, sweet breath, the scent of the shower gel that she has given the blonde earlier and... a flowery note of perfume that has managed to not get washed by the rain and still clings to the young woman's golden hair.

She could be satisfied with that answer, she hasn't forgotten that Piper is at her first session after all and all of this might be getting a bit too intense for her, but the way she feels those inner muscles clench around her, feels the heat pouring out of that tight clinging heat and coat her palm, serves only as an encouragement for Alex, who decides to push a bit further.

"Since when? _Tell me._ " She demands and even if she might already have her idea about it, she wants to hear Piper say it, she wants to keep pushing while giving at the same time, because she knows that the blonde might take a certain... enjoyment, in getting into this kind of talk, and not just because the results of questionnaire that she made her fill out confirmed as much.

"T-that morning..." Piper answers, struggling to push the words out in between moans and uneven breaths. "In... My office."

And there it is.

Alex smiles in satisfaction upon hearing the sweet confession she was hoping to receive.

She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought back about that day, too.

Maybe even more than just once.

She can't say if she would have gone through with... something more in that occasion.

She wasn't supposed to kiss Piper in the first place either and... She _didn't_ in fact. Because, technically, Piper is the one who has kissed her first, but... she _did_ respond.

Enthusiastically so.

Bringing up that event and knowing that the young businesswoman has been thinking - possibly even fantasizing about what happened that morning in her office - gives Alex the material she needs to urge Piper closer towards the edge of the precipice of pleasure she wants to watch her plummed into.

"Hadn't we been interrupted, I might have even decided to touch you," Alex tells her, deliberately lowering her voice into a deeper, huskier whisper and noticing immediately the way Piper shivers upon hearing it so close to her ear when she leans in. "Right there on your desk." She adds for emphasis.

The effect that her words have had so far has been interesting. Piper definitely seems to appreciate listening to her talking, and even if (so far) she hasn't said anything particularly naughty, Alex thinks that this occasion might be the perfect one to test how the blonde reacts when she pushes for... something a bit more... _explicit._

"Maybe I would have been gentle," She says, bringing her thumb to rest on that swollen, throbbing little bundle of nerves and reveling for the way Piper's mouth falls open and the most exquisite moan fall out with a shudder when she starts circling it in addition to the steady thrusts of the fingers buried deep inside that velvety, fluttering heat.

Alex can't help but smirk in satisfaction, because the young woman is just _so_ incredibly, amazingly responsive...

"Or maybe I would have spun you around and bent you over it-" She continues, adding a bit more of force of her wrist behind her thrusts and watching in pure delight the way the young woman starts shaking, panting, clinging harder onto her as if preparing herself for an impact when Alex curls the tips of her fingers over that sweet spot she has found earlier. "-tore your stockings open and filled you up from behind."

She concludes with a growl and a particularly harsher thrust and...

 _That's it._

It all happens so incredibly fast.

But, at the same time, it also unfolds before her in slow motion.

Slow enough for her to catch the way Piper arches onto her, while pushing her hips forward, taking her as deep as she can as her entire frame goes impossibly stiff.

Eyes shut tightly, mouth falling open and muscles tensing up - like an elastic band getting ready to snap - in anticipation for the crash that Alex should have sensed coming.

And a part of her _did._

She _felt_ the way those inner muscles had starting fluttering more and more frequently around her fingers.

She has felt the urgency of those hips rocking more and more insistently against her hand, eagerly meeting her thrusts and greedily taking everything she was giving.

Maybe it has been the... colorful images that she has just put into the young woman's head, the possible outcome of how their encounter could have evolved into, or maybe it has been teasing the kind of... rougher treatment she knows the blonde might be "inclined/willing to experiment" as she had scribbled nervously in answer beside the relative list on the questionnaire... _or_ it could be the way her fingertips have brushed against that swollen, extremely sensitive spot against her front wall what has played the crucial part in pushing her over the edge like this.

All Alex knows for sure, is that she can't go back now.

She can't backtrack and reach out and grab Piper's hand to help her regain her balance when she is already falling down that precipice.

All she can do, is watch as the young blonde woman plummets to those depths, arching into her touch, taking her fingers as deep as possible and shout her release to the ceiling. And then, Alex's only concern is to make the pleasure coursing through the young woman's system last for as long as she is capable.

She isn't even too disappointed by the unexpected powerful release.

The sight unfolding before her doesn't make it possible.

So raw and honest and... breathtakingly _beautiful._

A tingling like sensation spreads inside her chest upon watching Piper come, trashing and gasping and just letting go of any other remain of whatever concern and that has been holding her back until this very moment.

Blue eyes so impossibly deep and lustful flutter open by a slit, but they find hers immediately, and just a heartbeat before the second wave of her orgasm can crash into her and drag her far, far away, she reaches out with one hand.

Long, slender fingers card through her black hair and pull her close, and Alex might have even noticed the way that dark gaze had drifted - for an instant - down on her lips, but...

When Piper drags her into a kiss with a need that should only be reserved for oxygen, she doesn't pull back, she doesn't lean forward either, but she doesn't resist it.

She just... let it happen.

She lets those lips press against hers. But... she also opens her mouth and dips her tongue inside Piper's, swallowing the whimpered moans that rise from the young woman's chest and meeting it with a groan of her own.

With the way those inner muscles are squeezing around her, milking her fingers, rippling and clenching so delightfully, it's difficult not to get raptured into the moment, and for that couple of seconds, she is powerless to do anything but plunge in the same depths she has dragged Piper onto.

And it's wonderful.

That... tingling feeling in her chest flare onto a burst of warmth that expands when Piper mewls in her mouth shivering against her, pressing her body further against hers, seeking for an impossible closeness until all that Alex can feel is a moist warmth, of that naked sweat-slick heated skin, of the thick juices running down her hand, and the sweetness that she finds inside Piper's mouth.

It's truly breathtaking.

 _But..._

A warning bell goes off in her head.

 _...But it's also forbidden._

And as soon as she is able to hear that alarm, she immediately tears herself away from the blonde with a reluctance that leaves a scratch behind.

Like pulling off a band-aid too fast and in the wrong direction from a wound that has not yet healed.

The sharp sting lingers, it's not easy giving up the compelling warmth of that mouth, the way Piper surrendered to her dominance so completely, but she does her best to ignore it, as much as she does with the whimpers of disapproval that leaves the young woman's soft lips, focusing instead on the gasped moans and shudders of pleasure that she draws out from that arching, twitching, spasming body with each pump of her fingers and each calculated stroke over that extremely responsive spot she can barely reach with the added thickness of that third finger making it harder for her to get that half inch deeper, but it surely doesn't stop her from trying and find other ways to prolong this bliss, and she has every intention to keep going until the blonde beside her won't be reduced to a quivering, panting mess.

"That's right," Alex whispers encouragingly, wiggling her fingers inside that clinging heat and, at the same time, rolling the pad of her thumb over the little bundle of nerve throbbing in time with those rippling inner walls. "Give me everything you got."

 **. . .**

The force of that orgasm catches Piper completely off guard.

It's harsh, crashing.

And she is not one bit prepared when she gets assaulted by that first devastating wave.

Unable to suck in a breath at the last moment, she drowns powerlessly under it, leaving her gasping for air that simply won't fill enough her burning lungs.

It's exhausting, draining. And absolutely _everything_ that she has been trying to achieve for these past few weeks every time her hand has wandered below her navel, sneaked under the band of her underwear in search for the kind of relief that simply wouldn't come to her.

And now that she has it, she drinks it all in and lets it consume her from the inside with all the glorious, vicious, unstoppable fury of a tidal wave.

What truly completes it, however, what makes the pleasure spreading across every single nerve endings and seep into her bloodstream, sending her body into a frenzy, is the softness of those lips.

The warmth of that mouth, the feeling of that tongue sliding along hers with dominance, while those impossibly nimble fingers curl inside her, dragging shudder after shudder of pleasure out of her quivering core.

But...

It doesn't last.

Piper doesn't even have a chance to properly savor it for even half of the time she would have been capable of holding her breath.

Alex tears herself away from her, and she is left to mourn the loss of the sweet warmth of that mouth on hers, even if the pleasure coursing through her system and the comfort brought from having Alex's strong, unyielding frame which she can cling onto, soothes that loss and makes up for it, allowing her to ride through the last few waves of what is definitely the most intense orgasm she's had in...

In _so long_ that she can't even remember.

She uses the leverage or her leg hooked onto Alex's hip to help herself rock forward. Efficiently enough that, combined with the force of the strong wrist pumping those fingers inside of her at a steady, unwavering rhythm, she manages to get them that half inch deeper.

Or maybe she is just canting them shakily and Alex, just like she has been doing till now, is still the one in controlling of both the pace and the depth, balancing them in the most enjoyable way.

She gets lead back down from her height with the sense of vertigo that comes with an actual change of altitude. She gasps and pants in the same way too, still trying to get a sip of air that would satisfy the demand of oxygen in her lungs, an doesn't matter how smooth Alex tries to make that descent for her, in between the lack of air and the exhaustion starting to settle in her aching muscles, a sense of euphory and dizziness are the two main side effects that she notices first thing when her orgasm, after what seems like a short eternity, starts to die down. Fading onto much gentler waves of aftershock.

By the time she dares to open her eyes, she is not even surprised to find out that the first sight that greets her when she blinks the blurriness away and regains some focus, is the one of Alex watching her.

With that trademark smirk slowly, gradually tugging further up the corners of her mouth.

"Well... I have to say," The raven-haired woman starts when even the final shudders of the aftershock begin to fade into occasional twitches and weak little flutters around those fingers still buried inside of her. " _That_ was unexpectedly fast."

Despite the comment that should have probably come out with some disappointment, that smile tugging at the corner of Alex's lips says all another story.

She looks (and sounds) quite pleased actually by her incredibly flustered, messy, panting... appearance.

And why wouldn't she?

This is the result that _her_ attentions brought her to, even if (as she said) much (embarrassingly) faster than expected.

Still, not even the few traces of her orgasm still coursing through her system or the doesn't stop her from apologizing, that same stubborn heat from start burning inside of her with consuming embarrassment, because yeah it has been so fast that her head might still be spinning a little with that sense of vertigo.

"I'm sorry," The apology comes out slurred, uneven, just like her shallow breathing. "I just... I couldn't hel-"

"It's okay..." Alex interrupts her shaking her head in reassurance, and for the first time, Piper is actually glad for the interruption. Because she doesn't know if she would fair well with the heat of embarrassment blazing on her cheeks yet again, _especially_ in her current conditions.

"I dragged it for too long," Alex recognizes surprisingly taking fault for something Piper definitely doesn't blame her for. "But... with the proper training you'll be able to last much longer," She assures before explaining to her that "My intentions for today was to test your..." She pauses, pensively, before concluding with the slightest hint of a newly forming smirk. "Let's call it _resistance._ And even if I intended to do so in another way, I've still been able to draw an adequate conclusion about it judging on your... _performance._ "

In between all the little things she is starting to learn about the mysterious, intriguing sex-club owner, there is certainly how much she seems to enjoy playing with words in such a smart way.

Still, not knowing if (with all the fog that is still there obfuscating her mind and making a bit difficult to put thoughts and words together just yet) she understood and caught the whole explanation correctly, Piper asks for clarification. "Are you saying...?"

"I'm saying," Alex promptly summarizes. "That you are more of a sprinter right now. But there is all the potential to make of you a... marathon runner." She even quips, once more showing a glimpse of that very clever humor, and the reason why Piper starts laughing might be because of that joke, or the fact that she still feels a bit euphoric, in that lightheaded way that makes her blissfully carefree and breezy, or a combination of both. "That's it if you are interested, of course," Alex tells her.

And Piper wants to answer that _yes,_ she would _definitively_ want to try this slow glorious torture again if the result is going to be just as rewarding as the orgasms still tingling through her system but then...

She gets... _distracted,_ by the delighted smile that stretches on Alex's lips.

Her attention is drawn right to it, and when her gaze falls on Alex's mouth, it's not something that passes unnoticed.

It's too late to divert her gaze and pretend it had never landed there. The reminder of the kiss is as fresh as the new surge of warmth that seeps out of her, leaking around Alex's fingers upon remembering it, feeling her own lips tingle at the memory.

And it seems like Alex has just been thinking about that too, if the way those emerald eyes drop on her own lips for a moment before meeting her gaze again. But, when it does, the last thing Piper expect, is seeing the way that smile drops, just a little, as Alex's expression turns unexpectedly more serious for a moment.

"You haven't read the rules, have you?"

Piper instantly frowns, confused, feeling almost drowsy as if she has just been pulled out from a long, deep, millennial slumber. "What?" She asks, trying to shake herself more awake or at least will away the fog lingering in her mind.

Alex's eyes narrow behind the lenses of her glasses, but it's more of a half-hearted reprimanding look than one meant to properly scold like she has done earlier.

"We aren't supposed to kiss."

Piper instantly stiffens up upon receiving that information.

She wasn't sure what Alex was aiming at with that previous, confusing question about the contract's rules.

But this is _not_ what she expected to hear, _at all._

It's startling. Like receiving a slap that brings her mind back to reality at once, even if her body is still clearly caught into that grasp of pleasure she doesn't want to give up just yet, just like the long fingers still resting deep inside of her.

Heat flares on her chest and neck and cheeks, but this time it's not out of embarrassment for remembering what she has done, but it's actually a much more uncomfortable, flush of uneasiness, of worry, in knowing that she has broken one of the rules in the contract.

But... Then she remembers the soft pressure of those lips, the warmth of that mouth, the way Alex's tongue had wrapped around hers so easily...

 _Right before she pulled away_...

Her heart jumps with nervousness up into her throat. But even with that feeling stuck there, she has the urgency to apologize, _even if..._

Even if there is no itch of regret bothering her.

"I'm sorry, I-I..." She pauses, swallows, diverts her gaze guiltily just before lying oh so blatantly. "I... _forgot_... about that rule."

Luckily, she doesn't have to add anything else that Alex shakes her head dismissingly, soothing her worries with another sincere reassurance.

"Don't worry too much about it, kid." The nickname catches Piper off guard, mostly because they are still into this room, and she is still _inside_ of her, but the newfound lightness in Alex's voice seems to suggest what might even be a drop of the role she is supposed to cover, at least temporarily.

"You got caught up in the moment," Alex says understandingly, and oh... Piper sure as hell _did._

"Besides," Alex adds a moment later with the same comforting lightness. "I can hardly consider it an insult."

The smile that is offered to her then is what reassures Piper the most. The thing that fully soothes that lingering doubt about possibly being in trouble for not respecting the contract's rules.

One very specific rule that she swears she hasn't seen _anywhere._

Unable to look at Alex any longer with that knowledge, and before her gaze can have a chance to drift lower to those smiling lips, Piper diverts her eyes, looking around the room as if reminding herself _where_ she is and what _this_ is supposed to be about, and she can't help but wonder - since her sense of orientation seems to be a little off, like the one of a demagnetized compass - _how long_ it has passed, for how much time Alex has been teasing her until she physically couldn't resist a second longer.

"Don't worry," Alex tells her when she notices her looking around as if searching for a random clock among the array of toys on the nearby showcase. "You have all the time you want to recover," The raven-haired woman assures her, once more demonstrating that supernatural ability in reading her mind.

"Or maybe I could..." She adds, pausing and accompanying whatever thought she has in mind with a gentle, careful, yet suggestive wiggle of the fingers still resting deep inside of her. "...test your resistance some more."

And Piper might still feel a bit sensitive, but there is no way to contain the groan of that slips past her lips when she feels those fingers move inside of her, or deny the way her entire body lits up at the prospect of another round as if she hasn't been drained from everything she had barely two minutes ago.

"I want to." She admits at last because oh she sure would love to go for another dizzying spin. "But... I'm not sure if I can _actually do it_ again."

"Really?" Alex asks her, eyebrows knitting together in a skeptical frown. "Because I would be _delighted_ to prove how wrong you are about that."

That confidence has a solid base, and Alex's ego might even swell further when, in the moment she moves the fingers still resting within her, Piper's eyes flutter shut and a shuddering moan gets torn from her throat as her inner walls ripple in approval around those long digits at the simple gesture.

"Unless you truly can't take it anymore and have a specific word you want to tell me." Alex hints, stilling the movement inside of her and searching her face for signs of an exhaustion, of a need to recover that might be too heavy to overcome so soon after riding through that particularly intense climax.

And yeah, Piper might be spent, she might be even a bit sore, but there is no way that she is turning down one of the mind-blowing orgasms of the caliber that has just been offered so generously to her. And even if she there is no way her body is willing to let go of the exquisite fullness still stretching her so intimately, even if it could possibly mean lose consciousness upon reaching that peak again.

At last, in between the contrasting sensitivity located in her most intimate zone, and the undeniable need that is already starting to unfurl once again in her lower belly, Piper surrenders to the renewed, pulsing desire.

She swallows and looks Alex right in the eyes before answering as firmly as she can, which is quite the challenge given the way her voice is still laced with that breathy quality - result of the very recent orgasm that took everything from her. "I want to, Mistress."

Those stunning green gems study her attentively, and Piper bares herself open to that piercing gaze as Alex, once again, searches for even the most minimal trace of doubt or reluctance that is simply not there to find.

"Very good." Alex nods then when she has her confirmation. "But just so you can have the time to properly re-adjust, I'm starting slow." And Piper almost wants to tell her that she could have used that warning _earlier,_ when she was struggling to hold back against that deliberately teasing touch, but... there is something so thoughtful in that assurance that soothes some of the doubt that might have been lingering in her mind.

"I don't think you are going to need this anymore," Alex tells her eyeing the almost completely opened bathrobe that she is still wearing. Piper glances down at herself where the robe has slid off her side and... She might be a bit nervous about letting go of this last piece of clothing covering her naked body, especially considering that Alex is still fully, impeccably dressed, but...

There is something _appealing_ to all this.

It accentuates the contrast between them, putting on an even neater display their respective roles.

And so, without diverting her gaze from her, with a shaky hand, she reaches out and starts tugging the rest of the robe off her shoulders, shrugging it off her, feeling her cheeks heat up as she undresses completely despite the cool shiver that brushes her skin when she catches the difference of temperature in the room. It's quite pleasant though. And it counterbalancing that warmth scalding her skin like a gentle breeze.

"Mhm. That's better." Alex comments as she reaches out with her free hand.

Long talented fingers draw a path from her clavicle, tracing the side of her breast, climbing down the ladder of her ribcage and making the sensitive skin there tickle under that feather-light touch, before that hand comes to rest just as lightly on her hip, stopping there and cupping the jut of the bone while her eyes keep scanning further down.

Alex shakes her head and releases a long breath through her nose, tongue darting out to wet her lips. "So beautiful."

Piper has been called that before, but the way Alex looks at her, seeming to memorize every curve every dip and every little flawed mark on her skin, makes her realize that _no one_ has actually ever _looked_ at her with this... _this scorching_ intensity that is hot enough to make her skin burn.

Sure, Alex might be paid to care for her pleasure and satisfy her fantasies.

But she is not paid to fake this kind of interest in complimenting her. And right now, in her look, in those emerald eyes shimmering with flattering delight for the sight before her, there is nothing but the uttermost sincere appreciation.

That spring coil of desire that has re-formed and curled up in Piper's belly, tightens some more in front of that piercing look, and when she squirms under it, surprisingly, it's not with self-consciousness due to her (apparently very much appreciated) nakedness. But for the need that is starting to pulse lower, right against the palm still cupping her so intimately.

"I..." She pauses, swallows, sucking in a shuddering breath in a futile attempt to get a firmer hold on those slippery sensations. "I think I might be ready for more."

"Mhm, I can feel that," Alex purrs. "But I'm not sure _I am_ ready just yet." She remarks.

"So tell me, who do you think here decides when to start?"

Maybe it's the need to get back to their previous, established dynamic after the short pause following her previous release, when Alex has allowed herself to get a bit more gentle. Either way, Piper isn't disappointed to hear that tone of authority return in that deep, exquisitely husky voice. And she doesn't even have to think too much about whether she should answer and _how._

"Y-you do, Mistress." She stutters, but only because Alex chooses that exact moment to start moving inside of her again.

Aqua-green eyes find hers, glinting with the same mischief showing in her sly smile.

"That's right." She agrees approvingly, and with that and a pleased smile, Alex doesn't wait any longer to pick up a rhythm of full, long, deep thrusts that get Piper easily and quickly accustomed, even if she still has to resist the temptation to let her eyes flutter closed and roll onto the back of her head in delight.

She keeps them open and locked with Alex's instead.

And if they happen to drift lower - to those smirking lips, for example - catching the glint of sharp teeth, Piper bites down on her own, closing her fists tighter and tighter around the sheets beneath her when the urge of reaching out and slip her fingers through that impossibly soft dark hair and pull the woman down for a kiss becomes stronger. Especially when Alex flips her onto her back and settles between her (automatically parting) legs, spreading herself wide open in an enthusiastic invitation, assuming an incredibly vulnerable position that allows those deviously talented fingers to reach even deeper inside of her and brush repeatedly over that amazing spot discovered against her front wall.

Her body arches onto Alex's touch and it's then, when her torso pushes forward, that she gets an unexpected taste of the sweet warmth of that mouth again.

Without warning, urged by either improvisation or personal curiosity, Alex dips her head, and with a low growl, using her free hand to cup the underside of one of her small breasts, she leans forward and takes the rosy tip of her hardened nipple between her lips.

There is no containing the shudder that races down her spine or the moan that gets torn from her throat when Alex sucks her into her mouth. Tongue rolling over her nipple and testing the sensitivity there by dragging her teeth across the stiff tip in a way that makes her clit throb with jealousy.

And even like this, even with those lips sealed around her, she can _still_ feel it.

That pleased, infuriating, gorgeous smirk pressed against her breast.

Alex is going to torture her again.

Even more mercilessly than before probably.

Because now she has all the rest of her body to use as a canvas to test her touch and list every little reaction that she is going to elicit from her.

But Piper already knows it...

She already knows that even if she has to go through the insufferable teasing again, the hot, husky, dirty things that Alex is surely going to whisper to her - no doubt taking huge delight in the way she'll react to each single suggestion breathed with that exquisite deep voice in her ear - even if she has to beg her again in order to come...

...those are the things that have contributed in making her first spin so wonderful, magnificent, and absolutely _glorious._ Setting the standard of pleasure to a much higher level that is going to test her resistance once more, and push her towards the brink of unconsciousness when Alex is going to lift her up to that peak again.

* * *

 **I told you guys it was going to be a long one... So, the first session and Piper has already broken one of the rules, and Alex (surprise surprise!) is an insufferable tease ;) I know... So am I sometimes :P This was quite light yeah, but remember that it is just Piper's first time and Alex didn't want to overwhelm her. Although... now that she has seen how eager and obedient her new, submissive client is... :D**


	8. Chapter 8

Hello there!

My oh my... Haven't you guys been patient this time? So well behaved, lol :P

I'm truly glad you have enjoyed the previous chapter, I'm not going to lie, I was kind of jittery at the idea of posting it since it has been... quite intense to write it, but I really wanted to give Vauseman their moment and all the time and attention that a first time between these two definitely deserves.

Anyway, I have, of course, noticed how many of you have been left puzzled by the "no kissing" rule, and I (just like a reviewer that has explained the whole thing and beat me to the punch with it, lol) have too been surprised to find out that so many of you were confused about it.

Still, don't fret, I had anticipated some of that puzzlement and of course I already intended to explain some things further, which I've done in this same chapter in fact, so maybe the whole issue will appear a bit clearer now to those of you that had some doubts on that rule or on how could Piper have missed it, even though I thought I had made her... _distraction_ quite obvious a few chapters back :P

Enjoy

* * *

It's right there.

The third one from the top of the list.

 _No kissing allowed._

Hard to be any more concise than that.

And yet, it seems like that rule, those three little words that are now staring right back at her, almost mockingly in their simplicity and _bold_ font, have somehow managed to slip right past her attention, which, Piper admits, might have been drawn _somewhere else_ when she was handed over the contract for the first time.

She thinks back about that afternoon in Alex's office, recalling very well how the woman sitting on the other side of the desk, elegantly cross-legged, flipping through the pages of her medical tests and results, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose and generally looking so utterly absorbed in her reading as Piper herself should definitely have been with the contract in her hand, have somehow been enough to distract her.

But even so, how could she still miss _this_?

What little attention she had actually managed to direct towards the papers, she owns it to the professional part of her that is always functional, no matter how distracting the circumstances are, even if the business woman in her might have skipped by default right to the clauses that are usually found on any similar, standard membership agreement.

That's the only explanation on why she might have missed that rule altogether, along with a couple of other more on the list, but the rest of them don't come as a surprise to her like that very specific one does.

Without diverting her frowning gaze from her copy of the contract, Piper reaches out for her glass of wine on the kitchen island and takes another sip, a generous one, letting it sit on her tongue for just long enough to allow the fruity flavor of the pinot to envelop her palate with its pleasant, characteristical warmth. She welcomes and even enjoys the smooth sting of alcohol that follows and sticks lightly, pleasantly, on the back of her throat, before putting the glass down beside her half-eaten dinner.

She has been famished when she first got home, and with just enough strength left to take another shower and prepare herself something to eat, but her curiosity, the weight of the doubt about that rule, it's what has been truly gnawing at her. And now that she has taken another, much more thorough look at the contract, if possible, instead of getting soothed, that doubt only seems to grow even bigger, with all the new, bulky interrogatives popping in her mind regarding it.

The rest of the rules are perfectly reasonable. All being mostly about hygienic precautions and general safety protocols, stressing the importance about no drinking and the need to inform about administered medications, all with the purpose to stay within the consent lines Alex has insisted so strongly about. Which is reassuring, but... For how much she tries, she can't quite get _which_ could be the reason standing behind that very specific rule.

Frustrated, instead of taking another sip of wine, this time she favors another bite of her dinner.

It's still warm, and tasty enough in its simplicity to stimulate her appetite again, but she is no longer very hungry. Now she is mostly confused, tired, and a bit sore, too, although... in the most gratifying way.

Her entire body is still humming, so delightfully, as she has never experienced before.

Same goes for the tiredness, which distantly reminds her of how she feels after a particularly long run, but... not _quite_. The sense of satisfaction and the buzz of adrenaline still tingling through her system is very similar though. Even her breathing, so much slower than usual, contributes to the general lightness she is feeling deep in her bones, which only adds to that more complete and tangent sense of... _fulfillment._

It's still probably going to be another while before she'll be able to go to bed and fall asleep though.

But that's fine.

She has _every_ intention to read every single word in the contract, _again,_ with no gorgeous raven-haired, green-eyed women sitting elegantly cross-legged before her to distract her this time with things as simple as flipping through pages of medical tests with long, perfectly manicured, extremely talented fingers, or adjust dark-framed glasses that, if possible, lends an even more sensual and intriguing look to said already very captivating woman.

She is about to turn over the page, in what now she can't believe has been an unexpectedly, almost unforgiving, careless, superficial first scan of the document, ready to search for something else she might have missed (which, at this point, it wouldn't even surprise her) when suddenly, the sound of keys sliding onto the lock of her loft's front door startles her to attention.

She turns on her stool on the kitchen island and whips towards the entrance just in time to see the door being pushed open by no other than her best friend.

"-Fucking vault."

Her best friend who seems to be quite grumpy as she mumbles some curses under her breath at the way too heavy security door and walks in, throwing it a glare after it closes, impossibly, mockingly softly behind her.

"Uhm... Hello?" Piper greets her, beyond puzzled, but no longer concerned by the sudden unexpected visit, which reason behind it she understands immediately when Polly drops her purse on the counter, heading straight for the untouched liquor cabinet that Piper keeps stocked for guests she never has, and retrieves the bottle of Brugal and a tumbler.

She sighs.

"What has Pete done this time?"

Polly returns to the kitchen island, pouring a very generous amount of the deep amber rum into the glass and taking a seat on the stool across from her.

"Forget about Pete and his I-couldn't-give-a-damn attitude about rising his own child." She says, tipping the glass towards her and narrowing her eyes in a glare. "I was looking for you, _miss._ You were nowhere to be found, which is... concerning, to say the least, considering that you are usually the last person to leave the building and also the one who is known to _never_ turn off her phone before midnight."

The reminder of the missing phone and veiled reprimand based on what is clearly concern, makes Piper grimace.

"Sorry," She apologizes. "I forgot it at the coffee place next door this morning." At least she really hopes so, but she's never been more glad about having the habit of writing all of her meetings by hand on her physical agenda. And _speaking of..._ "But I told you I had a... personal appointment this afternoon and that I needed to leave a bit earlier."

"What kind of appointment?" Her friend asks her before dismissing her own question just as quickly. "Doesn't matter, at least I know you haven't been kidnapped."

Piper can't help but scoff a laugh in hearing _that_.

"That's why you used the spare emergency keys I gave you? To make sure I haven't been kidnapped and put in the trunk of a car of some lunatic?" She asks skeptically and beyond amused by the scenario.

"In my imagination, he had a wig." Polly jokes staring into distance before shaking her head to recollect her thoughts. "But no, I just needed to get out of the house and no bar in the city serves the good stuff you got here." With that, her friend picks up the glass, and after tipping it towards her in cheers, she throws back a mouthful of the spiced drink she has just poured for herself.

Piper winces in sympathy.

She is not a rum person, but this is not exactly the occasion she imagined that five hundred dollar bottle to be broken open.

However, assassination of a great, expensive, spiced, aged imported liquor that should be savored properly, sipped gently, and not gulped down like a cheap swirl of whiskey aside, Piper's concern is all for her friend. In seeing her in such a desperate need to blur reality away so quickly.

"Are you okay, Pol?" She can't help but ask, even though she surely has her answer already. One that is immediately confirmed to her when her friend shrugs in that fake-nonchalant way and replies with a pungent, "Yeah, of course. Motherhood and a marriage where one of the two parts involved barely acknowledges the other and doesn't sustain her in anything is _exactly_ what I signed up for."

The quick rant, for how short, seems to get some steam off her. "But..." She continues then, more calmly after releasing a long sigh through her nose. "At least I know that my stressed-out business partner that is like a little sister to me is finally following my advice and taking more time for herself." And here, for the first time since she walked in, her best friend manages a smile.

It's soft, dim, but the sincerity in it and in that comment is indisputable, even if Piper notices how her features are still showing frustration and way too many crinkles of preoccupation about just as many things that are starting to seem uncertain in her personal life right now.

Things that inevitably make Piper feel bad and worried about as well.

"You want to talk about it?" She asks, softly, tentatively, even though, once again, she already knows the answer to that practically rhetorical question.

"God, please no..." As expected, Polly begs her with a groan. "I want _you_ \- and this tanned friend over here-" she adds gesturing to the bottle of rum sitting beside her glass. "-to distract me. Like... I've heard you made a scene with the advertising team about our new three-in-one launch. People were saying that you made poor Scotty run from the meeting room crying."

Her friend may sound a bit baffled, but there is actually more amusement than accusation or even reprimand in her tone and expression. And maybe... even a twisted kind of approval.

But even if there wasn't, Piper would have still straightened up and lifted her chin with the same certainty to explain the same thing, about how, "We- _I_ gave him my idea. It was very specific, approved by the investors and the marketing team, and he comes to me after two months presenting something completely different from the original project." She shakes her head, because even just recalling how the meeting went is enough to make her boil with indignation. "No way. He's too well paid to come up with the half-baked crap he did. I won't tolerate that. I told him so, and I've also warned him that if he wants to keep his job he better to do what I tell him to and that I don't give a damn about what he thinks. He has to follow _my_ orders."

Okay, so she may have gotten a bit _passionate_ in even just recalling the occasion. But _this_ is her business, it's all she has, and she knows what's best for it, that's why she and Polly are the only ones in charge who take all the important decisions.

"Damn..." Her business partner blinks back at her, mouth slightly ajar, eyes wide and sparkling with something not far from admiration. "I wish I was there to see you get _that_ angry at that little bitch."

Maybe _angry_ is not the exact word Piper would use, but she can't deny that she does tend to get a bit upset when a subordinate has the audacity to not obey to her direct instruction, especially _after_ they have been already approved. She would say that she was...

"I was a bit on edge." She admits, brushing off the event as nothing important, taking a just-as-casual sip of wine, but Polly surely isn't fooled by that excuse and by her pretended nonchalance.

"Why?" Her friend inquires, dark eyes narrowing with more suspicion than curiosity. "What got you so nervous today?"

Having that scrutinizing look directed at her with such piercing intensity makes Piper squirm a bit on her seat and chew on the inside of her bottom lips as, almost instinctively after hearing such question, and yet in an attempt to break the eye contact, her gaze lands on the page of the contract laying in front of her, right beside her almost finished chicken stir-fry.

"What's this?" Her friend, however, as she follows her gaze, sounds and looks like she has just noticed the document and, much to Piper's displeasure, welcomes the distraction it provides. "An application form?"

If she wanted, Piper could easily dismiss the subject, ball up the paper and throw it somewhere, but...

 _Oh, what the hell..._

Polly already knows everything about the club anyway. In fact, she is only reminded that she is the one who started this whole thing in the first place.

"Not exactly..." Piper admits at last, because there is no point in hiding it. And no reason to do so with her best friend.

"It's..." She pauses, sighs, runs a hand through her hair. "It's the contract I signed to join the club."

Polly instantly perks up at the mention of the club, back straightening up and eyes widening like saucers with sudden, bright interest.

"You mean... _the sex_ club?" She asks for confirmation, scooting forward on the edge of the stool and offering her undivided attention and... Well, at least she is no longer sulking about all the problems in her personal life, which is encouraging enough for Piper to continue.

"...Yes." She confirms with a nod, gaze darting down to the piece of paper resting beside her dinner.

She has been struggling to find a sense on the matter that is still there (even now, with Polly's company here) buzzing relentlessly on the back of her mind, and _maybe_... Now that she thinks about it...

Maybe her business partner, with her own attentive eye for contracts, can catch if there actually is something weird and off about the document that has been lying there before her for almost half an hour, mocking her with its ridiculous simplicity, some of which she truly can't understand and even finds still quite confusing. Frustratingly so.

"Actually, would you..." She starts only to pause, reconsider the whole thing and almost backtrack, but her friend is looking at her expectantly and the need to know is just so much stronger than her momentary uncertainty that it takes very little for her to push the question forward. "Would you take a look at it and tell me what you think?"

It's quite clear, from the dazed expression that instantly tugs Polly's features and lifts up her eyebrows, that she wasn't expecting that request _at all._

"Uh..." For a moment, her business partner looks just as uncertain as Piper herself feels, but also undeniably curious at the same time. And definitely more than enough to accept. "Sure... okay."

Piper slides the page over to her friend, who takes it with that frown of puzzlement, but indulges her and reads for a few minutes in silence without commenting.

Or at least she _doesn't_ until she comes across that damn list and a soft "Wow" slips past her lips. Dark eyes widen in a pleasantly surprised kind of way. "The owner seems to be very serious about health precautions and safety measures."

"She is." Piper agrees. Even more about consent, she thinks to herself. "Your intuition was right about that aspect of the club. But that is not why I wanted you to take a look at it." She tells her friend steering the conversation back towards the main reason of her previous question.

"Then what is it?" Polly asks sounding even more confused. "Because to me, it seems fine. It's an ordinary binding contract, Piper. Even though it has half the tricky words and complicated terms that are usually present onto one of this kind, which should make it even simpler," She rightfully points out. "Especially for someone as expert in stipulating them as you are."

Even Polly sees it the way she did when she first saw it.

A contract stipulated almost as simply as an application form for a gym membership, with the addition of a few rules that guarantee expulsion if broken, or if the member involved doesn't show the most appropriate behavior in the club, but... Among those very same guidelines regarding what is appropriate and what's not...

"Don't you find some of the regulations a bit _odd_ though?"

The spike of nervousness returns, thick in her chest and fluttery in her belly, but luckily it doesn't make all the way up her throat for it to temper with her voice.

"Of which one are you talking about specifically?" Polly asks, turning the page over to look once more at the mentioned list.

"The... uh," And here Piper hesitates again, caught once more into that same grasp of uncertainty for a flimsy moment before she can smother that feeling enough to continue. "The one about no kissing being allowed during the sessions."

 _There._

The knot of nervousness in her chest swells only to loosen up completely, deflating on itself, in the same instant she utters what has been her main source of confusion for the past few hours.

"Don't you find it... strange somehow?" She asks again. _Especially considering on what the whole club revolves around?_ She wants to add. _Especially after Alex has kissed me breathless, and almost fucked me against my own desk?_ She barely refrains from confessing.

But that was all _before._

 _Before_ she signed the contract.

Before she became _a client,_ she reminds herself. And she knows that the fact that she has signed the documents _after_ what happened in her office, is the reason why everything has taken a whole other perspective, why Alex hasn't indulged her today and stuck, rightfully, to the rules, reminding her of its existence as well, and with it, her role, _her own place_ as a client.

Piper definitely expects some support from her friend, something that would also raise the same kind of confusion.

However, she is hugely disappointed when, her best friend answers to her with a shake of her head and a totally unimpressed "Not really."

Piper's mouth falls open in bewilderment.

"Actually," Polly continues, throwing her even more off balance. "To be completely honest, that's the one I knew I would have found for sure."

 _"What?!"_ Piper truly can't help but sputter, almost shouting, incredulously, utterly baffled by the revelation and lack of support. "Why?"

Her friend, rightfully so, startles at the volume of her voice, and having those dark eyes look at her as if she has suddenly grown three heads, with an expression that is something in between _"Seriously?"_ and _"Whoa okay, let me explain this to you"_ makes Piper feel like an ignorant child, which only renders the situation so much worse.

"For some... sex workers..." Polly starts and Piper already has to bite on her tongue to not argue about that... term being associated with the raven-haired, green-eyed club-owner, and instead listens. "Kissing is considerate a very intimate gesture. Even more so than anything else that happens in this club, no matter how high the level of kinky stuff that they do there is."

It's not the answer that Piper expected to receive.

And it's _definitely_ not one she would have expected to hear from her best friend of all people.

She ignored that Polly had such a surprising _knowledge_ on the matter.

"It's also a way to keep things professional." Polly continues, and for how much Piper hates it, the arguments she is being shown are becoming highly convincing. "You know, without the blurriness of possible feelings maybe getting in the way? Something I'm not sure would be such a great deal for some men, but us women... Let's say it, we are definitely more sentimental, and sometimes we need that kind of intimate connection to pair with the more... physical stuff."

Faced with those perfectly understandable motivations, almost blinding in their clarity, for the presence of that specific rule that has been bugging her for a good part of the evening, Piper can't help but wonder if the last thing that Polly has just added is actually something she was trying to reach for with Alex.

If, in the moment she pulled the raven-haired woman into a kiss, she was actually craving for that something else that wasn't purely physical. And...

She shakes her head, firmly, because it's definitely just like Alex herself has justified the gesture for her.

She was simply caught in the moment, overwhelmed by way too many feelings while she was also drowning under the waves of the most powerful orgasm she's had in a very long time, and those lips, those rosy, generous very kissable lips were just there, a few inches from her own, looking so impossibly soft and so damn inviting.

But instead of dwelling some more on that slip, she leans back onto the stool, arms crossed as she appraises her best friend with that same scrutinizing look she has given her a few days ago in her office.

"What?" Her partner inquiries, suspiciously. No doubt starting to feel a bit uncomfortable under such a piercing, attentive look.

"You sure seem to know a great deal about how all of this sex-club thing works, Pol."

"I don't." Her best friend denies, shrugging, frowning. "I'm just thinking like a woman and mixing in some general, basic knowledge about the sex industry." She explains, so matter of factly that it's almost annoying, but not as much as the comment that follows. "Honestly Pipes, I'm surprised that _you_ haven't arrived at the same explanation."

It doesn't come out exactly like a reprimand, but hearing her friend say that to her with that note of surprise and disappointment in her voice, surely makes it sound that way to her ears. Even though, she has to admit that hearing the explanation her best friend just provided for her, also makes her feel kind of silly for not having thought about the situation with the same logic and seeing it in such perspective.

Because now that she starts looking at it in that way, it just seems... So damn _obvious._

"Why does this bother you so much anyway?" Polly asks her, because by now she has definitely noticed how much the matter has been bugging her, and the thread of puzzlement and curiosity that are laced onto that question are more than a justifiable presence right now.

For a moment, Piper even considers telling her.

Why shouldn't she do it?

Polly is her best friend after all.

They have shared many, many things over the years. Sexually related, too.

She trusts her.

But _this_...

She shakes her head at last, deciding against revealing that slip about the kiss.

"It doesn't matter." She dismisses with a shrug. "It's nothing." But despite her reassurance - which she herself is surprised comes out quite convincing considering that... that _foreign_ feeling that has started to pool in the pit of her stomach and inch higher up her chest - her friend doesn't seem willing to relent just yet. Not that Piper actually expected her to, despite what had been her hopes...

"Well... can you at least tell me how was it?" Polly asks her, clearly thrumming with curiosity to know, barely restraining herself from actually demanding in a much more impatient way.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Piper asks back, reminding quite well the mix of contrasting reactions she was met with from her business partner when she first confessed her intention about possibly joining the club as a client.

"Uh, let me think," Polly says, squinting up at the ceiling as she summarizes. "My marriage is failing miserably, I'm running a company and trying to raise a child - which I'm starting to think I wasn't as prepared to have as I believed I was - all by myself, my sex life is non existent- not that I would ever fuck my husband who is way too busy being a kept man and get drunk instead of offering even the most minimal kind of support - Such a turn on. So, yeah... I'm pretty sure I could handle basking for a while in the reflection of your _afterglow._ So to speak." She even manages to throw that humorous quip in between all the sarcasm about the mess her personal life has become in the past few weeks, and it's because of the consideration of all those problems that seem to be piling up at an alarming rate that it's hard for Piper to muster more than a twitchy smile in hearing that joke.

She considers asking Polly once more if she wants to talk about all that is troubling her, but she already knows that it won't do any good, on the contrary, it will make her more angry and depressed, and she doesn't want to have to deal with that, and with what is probably going to be a hellish hangover considering the way her friend keeps drinking.

And so, after a brief review of her limited options, and encouraged by that look of sincere bubbling curiosity that her best friend seems to be barely able to restrain inside her, Piper decides that maybe, sharing some details about what she has tried today might truly be the only way to take her friend's mind off her problems. At least for a while.

"It was..." She starts, only to pause and consider her words carefully, because, to be honest, there aren't many adjectives she would use for what she has experienced this afternoon.

Satisfying, satiating, gratifying sure. There are thousands of other terms she could use, but none that would make how she still feels even after several hours. Because, mostly, altogether, it was...

" _Different._ "

The vastness of the directions such word can point towards, are as many as its meaning.

Because it truly was. In so many unique ways.

She doesn't have a wide scale to make comparisons, but she doesn't need that to say, without a shadow of doubt, that it's definitely nothing she has experienced before. Ever. With anyone. And she also knows that it's not a coincidence, but more than considering the level of... professional, anatomical knowledge, she knows that it's actually the individuality of the person, the comfort and understanding and thoughtfulness that she has found in Alex what has made the experience so... unique. Unforgettable.

"Uh... Care to elaborate a bit more maybe?" Polly asks, prying, and Piper is surprised that she doesn't feel as nervous or even mildly self-conscious at the prospect of revealing the details of her first session as she thought she would be. But even if she spends a few more moments thinking about the most appropriate way, she truly doesn't know how to describe what Alex tried with her, or even less, how to describe the compelling turmoil of sensations (which have ultimately collided onto one big, explosive release) that the talented woman has made her experience.

"She touched me," It's simply what she comes up with at last, lacking anything more appropriate at the moment. "But like... _very_ slowly."

Polly just blinks at her.

"So... you got... _masturbated_?"

"No. I mean, _yes-_ I mean..." Piper sighs, pausing to collect her thoughts in order. "I _did_ but it was something more than _just_ that. Like... She knew exactly how to do it, but not just because she is a professional-" Well, that too, probably. "But she took her time to understand _how_ to touch me. To... you know... make it the most enjoyable for me." And she sure did, she thinks. For three glorious times Alex has given her a glimpse of heaven with those wickedly talented fingers of hers, but also with something she would have never expected to have such a great effect on her body, which has been as responsive as never before.

"And she... She _talked_ to me while she did it."

That detail elicits a soft, pink-ish tinge on her cheeks when she reveals it, and it's also one that seems to pique Polly's interest.

"Like... _dirty_ talk?" Her friend inquires and it's not lost on Piper, doesn't matter how far away her mind is drifting, the way her friend leans further forward with curiosity. A few more inches and she'll be laying flat on the counter.

Piper, however, honestly doesn't know if that's how she would call it, _specifically_.

If she thinks of the term her friend just used, she instantly thinks about a string of obscenely filthy words, the kind heard in some squalid porn movie filled with harsh grunts and fake orgasm shrieks.

 _No..._ The things that Alex has whispered in her ear, some particularly explicit, with a few specific scenarios have been all at a whole different level. And the way she has breathed them in her ear, in that sultry voice, with that slightly deeper, raspier tone, balanced with her impeccable, insanely attractive eloquence has been... So deeply erotic.

Even just thinking back about those moments is enough to start a spark in her stomach that spreads further down her belly, flaring within seconds and making her... squirm, on the stool.

" _Whoa,_ okay!" Polly exclaims pushing herself away from the counter, putting more distance between them. "I take it back, I think it might be enough info for now."

Piper throws her a glare, but before she can actually point out that it was her the one who asked for details, her friend speaks again, and it's actually the way the expression on her face softens what stops her from saying anything.

"But... It truly sounds wonderful." Her friend admits sighing wistfully, taking another sip of her drink before flashing her a smile, and even if it's barely visible over the rim, Piper can see how it's veiled with an undeniable sadness, which becomes even more obvious when Polly scoffs bitterly to herself. "I actually can't remember last time someone just took the time to try something _like that_ with me."

"Pol..." Piper sighs, conflicted in between asking if she truly needs to rant some more about all that is troubling her because she knows that she can't help in any other way on the matter, but before she can say anything her friend, already having caught up with her intentions, dismisses her worries with a wave of her hand and a half shrug.

"Oh, it's fine Pipes..." Her business partner reassures her after taking another a sip of rum. "I'll be okay."

She might say that with all the casualness in the world, but she doesn't look convinced one bit by her own assurance, and for how much Piper would want to comfort her, she knows that right now it won't do her any good, and so, reluctantly, she decides that it's best not to insist, at least not at the moment.

"So..." Polly summarizes, sounding chirpy once more with the aid of alcohol starting to wind in her system. "Your first time, uh?" _And looking just as annoyingly inquisitive as before it seems,_ given the way she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

Piper, however, frowns confusedly at that question.

"What?"

"You know..." Polly smirks. "With _a woman._ "

Oh.

 _Oh..._

Realization hits Piper hard and all at once, square in her still fluttering stomach. She almost startles with the force it comes. Because she hasn't thought about it _that way_ until just now. And now that she does...

"Yeah, I... I guess so." She mumbles, frowning, mostly to herself, because the more she thinks about it, however, the more... "I'm not sure if I count it as a real one though."

She didn't mean to say it out loud, it's more like a mumbled thought that has slipped a bit louder. Polly hears her and when all Piper receives back from that confession is an (understandingly) utterly confused look from her friend, she guesses that she might as well articulate further.

"I mean, I didn't get to... touch her. You know... _in return_." Even just thinking about it is enough for Piper to feel the way too familiar heat starting to rise up her neck and tinge her cheeks, followed by that feeling that seems to be still there pooled in her belly, which curls a bit tighter on itself at the possibilities that get triggered, so vast and suddenly that it makes her head spin. "She just focused on me."

Polly mocks her with an eye roll and a whined "Poor you" at her as she unscrews the bottle and pours herself another generous glass of the rich, amber liquid, and even if Piper notices that with a note of alarm, she deliberately ignores the comment, way too absorbed by yet another thought that is starting to take a more consistent form in her mind.

Bulky enough to replace the previous matter on the whole no kissing allowed nonsense.

"I don't even know if I'm _allowed_ to touch her actually." She ponders out loud, because if she is not allowed to kiss Alex she figures that she's _definitely_ not allowed to touch her either, least of all in a much more _intimate_ way.

Firstly, she is only met with silence, and when it stretches for too long that Piper dares to glance at her friend, only to find her staring back at her with an even more baffled look than before.

"What?"

"Seriously?" Polly asks her, wide-eyed. " _You can_ touch her, dumbass."

For how discreet the jolt that her heart does in the confines of her chest, there is definitely no preventing the little startle that she does on her seat, or even mask the look of surprise that takes over her face in hearing that very unexpected answer filled with certainty.

"I'm sorry, what?"

She probably heard that wrong.

Or maybe she just heard what she _wanted_ to hear.

What she hasn't dared to _hope_ for, because she just hates being disappointed _so much_ , and she's never been the kind of person to indulge in delusions.

But when Polly just looks at her, shaking her head as if she can barely recognize her, well...

"Jesus Piper," Her friend sighs in exasperation. "Have you actually _read_ this thing before signing it?" She asks reaching for the contract once more, turning it over and, after a brief scan, pointing at the finer lettering right under the list of rules, completely ignoring the offended glare that Piper throws at her.

"Right here. See? _The client is not to feel obligated about returning any kind of the sexual services to the professional performer(s)._ " Piper stares wide-eyed at that line, put in such a simple, almost colloquial way. Clear as day. And yet, it's just another one on the list that has managed to escape what now she truly believes has been quite a poor reading of the whole contract in the first place. And she can only blame silky, long black hair and stunning, piercing emerald eyes sprayed with flecks of gold and mischievous sexy smirks so far, but the rest is all on her and her poor attention span when in the presence of said woman.

"It doesn't say anything explicit about it," Polly continues. "But it's obviously implied that, if she is willing to let you do so, you can indeed _return the favors_." She concludes, even paraphrasing the line and making air quotes as if to offer her a better, easier understanding.

"Seriously though, Pipes, I know I said you needed a distraction and... I truly am glad you have decided to take my advice because it was damn time already you did something for yourself, and it seems like it's working, too." A _maybe even too much,_ echoes silently between them. "But _please_... try to be a bit more present at work and pay more attention to at least _our_ contracts with _our_ investors, okay?"

Piper knows that she should feel offended, at least a little bit, even though she knows that Polly is clearly not aiming to make her feel that way with that friendly reprimand sprinkled with the right amount of concern, but it's also true that she can't deny the accusation of being maybe a little bit distracted this evening, as she has given ample proof of being so far... for all day long actually.

The mention of work however, since it has been brought it up, gives her the right opportunity to gain back some of her dignity and live up to her reputation as _the "uptight, career-centered, workaholic, unsatisfied bitch who should get laid already"_ as Polly herself called her out of rage that time they argued a bit more _animatedly_ than usual.

She realizes that it's the kind of distraction she needs with all the thoughts about infinite possibilities revolving around pleasuring the woman that has taken such great care of her today, overfilling her mind and starting to echo in her body too, in a much more physical manner, as some images start to take dangerously compelling forms...

"How about we change the subject and you can tell me all about the new possible locations you intend to visit this week while I hold up the fort?" She asks, hoping that talking about work and business would be enough to set her mind straight.

She even slides the contract out of her sight, as far to the opposite side of the kitchen island as she can reach from her current position. She does the same with the bottle of rum when she sees her friend reach for it, and instead slides her half-finished dinner across the counter.

After a moment of hesitation Polly accepts the dish and, much to Piper's relief, starts eating, leaving the glass of rum aside as she discusses all the possible locations for their new store.

Steering the conversation towards that direction works, especially for her friend, who, luckily, seems to temporarily forget about her personal problems and doesn't look as frustrated and raging as when she first stormed in her apartment.

As for herself, however... well...

For how hard Piper tries, there is no shaking off the thoughts that are winding onto each other in her mind. Her vivid imagination is waiting for her whenever she blinks out of focus for a moment longer in between pauses, and for how much she is interested, maybe even a bit concerned about the matter of the new location, that flimsy concern is not enough to overpower the echo of the feelings that are thrumming through her system along with the flow of adrenaline that, even after several hours, is still making her body buzz so delightfully.

Even more, if she starts thinking about how, if she had the chance - and any energy left - now that she knows about the _possibility_ , she would have done some exploring of her own.

The thought thrills her as much as it makes her nervous.

Although... It's a good kind of nervousness.

Because she has never... Not with a woman.

But Alex...

There is just... _something_ about her.

Something that goes way beyond personal charm, professional reassurance or even expertise in her business.

There is so much more to her, to what Alex has shown her today.

Piper is _sure_ of it.

She has caught the glimpses and has craved for so much more of it the closer Alex brought her to the apex her pleasure, where all inhibition and whatever remnant of self-consciousness gets swallowed by the thickening haze of desire.

The one that stirs in her at the thought is the kind of nervousness that stimulates her imagination even further and makes her also wonder how that alabaster skin would feel under her touch.

But it seems like such scenario depends on whether Alex- _No..._ The rules are finally sinking into her and starting to stick - Whether _her Mistress_ is going to allow her or not.

If there is one thing she has learned today though, is that the raven-haired woman punishes with firmness.

But she also rewards with generosity.

And Piper, well... To get what she wants, she already knows that she'll _just_ have to behave.

 **. . .**

"So... How was it get back in the saddle? Did you get to pick up the crop yet?"

Alex knew, that the first thing she was to expect from her best friend after she would have emerged from the depths of the club, was going to be a good dose of curiosity corrected with some teasing.

That's probably why she didn't go anywhere near the bar after she has finished her... session.

She just put the room in order, changed the sheets, as routine, and took a shower before going to her usual spot at the reception for the rest of the night, only stepping down from it to show the regulars off to the respective entertainers and booked rooms.

It's has been quite a busy evening, too, but now the club is empty, the lights are still emanating the same softer dim providing atmosphere, but the music is off and there is nothing around but silence. The staff has gone home, and she and Nicky are the only ones left there to close, so there is no way for her to avoid her business partner any longer. Not that she was trying to do that... She thinks.

Still, upon hearing that (very anticipated) question, the corner of Alex's mouth twitches into a smile that she immediately tries to conceal by tilting her head briefly down and licking at her lips.

When she gazes up again and meets her business partner's gaze across from the bar counter she has already regained most of her composure back.

"I thought you knew me way more than just enough by now to know that I don't kiss and tell, Nichols." She reprimands, leaning onto the bar counter with her elbows, eyes narrowing behind her glasses in a glare that is still way too friendly and humorous to deliver any kind of threat in that scolding. "Especially _not_ with a client."

Especially if that client is someone new and unexpert... But also so very _very_ eager and showing so much potential that Alex might actually feel tempted to push for that something stronger the young woman seems more than willing to try already, or at least, if not for resistance, the impressive, unexpectedly fast recovery time of said blonde seems to prove so.

"Aw, come on, Vause." Nicky complains but the disappointment in that grumble has nothing on the smile that her friend is unsuccessfully trying to suppress, which, no matter the effort she puts, doesn't hide the much brighter gleam of curiosity sparkling into those dark eyes of hers. "How did it go?"

Alex knows that it's not nosiness. Nicky has never been the type to pry... _much._ And that curiosity that she hears standing at the base of such question is one born from... something akin to concern, which Alex also finds into the bottomless pools staring expectantly back at her.

And honestly... Being at the end of such look is enough to make her cave in within seconds.

After all, it's been a while since she has taken part in any kind of _direct_ interaction with a client. So the question is legitimate and justified, she reasons, sighing in defeat.

"It was... good." She admits, but she also instantly recognizes that such poor adjective is way too inadequate, way too reductive to describe the experience she has taken part in this afternoon, although, lacking of anything more appropriate at the moment, and not wishing to be too revealing to respect her client's privacy, she can only confess that "I... kind of missed it actually."

It's sincere, maybe even a little too much, and she has the confirmation that she should have probably kept that assertion for herself when she sees her friend's lips tug into that annoying, knowing little smirk.

"Missed that thrill of adrenaline and power, didn't you, _Mistress_?" Nicky teases, but even if Alex, by default, rolls her eyes at the teasing (and might actually even cringe internally a bit in hearing her best friend call her _that way_ ) there is no denying that she did miss those things indeed.

She has most definitely missed playing that old character and the sense of authority, of dominance that comes with it.

 _Tremendously so._

And nothing has felt more natural than slipping into such role again after so long. Like re-wearing a favorite dress that has been discarded on the back of a closet and finding it still perfectly fitting to her form.

But why shouldn't it? Taking over the bureaucratic side of running this business doesn't mean that _that_ part of her had somehow weakened over this past year.

She is still the same person. And that... dominant trait is still part of her core, part of her very essence.

"Wow. _That_ much, uh?" Nicky asks impressed even though Alex hasn't said a word, but she knows that she didn't even need to. The pensive look that has taken over her face shows everything that her observant, intuitive partner needs to draw a proper conclusion on exactly _how much_ she has enjoyed the session.

"What about your lovely client?"

It's not like Alex didn't expect also that other question as well, but it catches her more by surprise than the previous one, especially since Nicky doesn't even look at her when she asks it, strategically ducking under the counter to retrieve the garbage bag of empty liquor bottles from behind the bar instead, and it's exactly that lack of eye contact that says _everything_ about how much more curious her best friend is about knowing _that_ detail.

And this... _This_ is actually an example of very badly veiled and unexpected nosiness.

It surprises Alex quite a bit, but Nicky should know her better than this. She knows that she won't reveal any kind of information about sessions with one of her clients, and make of her young, eager novice object of discussion or, even worse, entertainment, no matter how hard her partner is trying to get some juicy information out of her.

"Did she appreciate the-"

"Nuh uh. I'm not going to," Alex interrupts her. "So you might as well stop right there, Nichols." And this time, there is actually a bit more of reprimand in her tone - as well as in her scolding gaze - than there was before. Enough to deliver the warning properly.

Nicky raises her hands in surrender, even though the smirk is still there, tugging higher at the corner of her mouth.

"All right, all right." She defends before grabbing the leather jacket laying over the counter, slipping onto it and throwing over her shoulder the thrash bag of empty bottles, ready to head out. "You can't blame a girl for trying, Vause. Although..." She adds when she steps down from the bar, pausing in front of her for a beat on her way towards the entrance. "I think you have missed a spot under the shower." She says eyes narrowed in an examination on her face as she gestures to a spot on her own jaw with her free hand. "You might want to wipe away that smear of lipstick you have right there before your ride gets here."

"What?" Alex almost startles, with a deep, sudden frown of confusion that shapes almost immediately into striking realization once the words register. She brings her hand instantly to her own neck, and...

Damn it.

She should have sensed the trap.

Because _of course_ it was a damn trap.

And now, it's far too late for her to back away from that set-up pitfall.

She falls right into it when she wipes at the spot where a pair of soft lips might have pressed (involuntarily) against her neck at some point earlier, but by the time she pulls her hand away, coming off clean from any imaginary smear of lipstick, she is already metaphorically hanging upside down from a foot and Nicky is grinning at her, victoriously.

"I fucking knew it." Her best friend gloats, lips curling into an even wider, cocky smirk."I bet she even kissed you, didn't she?" She scoffs, shaking her head. " _Amateurs_..."

Alex's lips part, ready to reply, but she is too taken aback by the ambush and surprised by her own naivety for letting her guard down so soon (which she should know better, especially with her friend still in the vicinity) that she doesn't know whether she should first deny the accusation, admonish her partner for acting like an insufferable, pranking adolescent, or... come up with an excuse and a defense for her young, unexpert client and her behavior that has already brought her to break one of the main rules during the first session.

Luckily, Nicky doesn't know about such detail, even if she might have imagined as much. Alex doesn't have any intention in confirming that guess but she doesn't even have the chance to do anything more than throwing a glare at her grinning, totally unapologetic best friend, that a moment later the door of the club swings open.

It's enough to draw both of their attention towards the entrance, where Alex watches as a familiar figure walks in.

High heels, a trench coat, and long, fiery red hair.

Gray eyes lock immediately, almost magnetically with hers, and as soon as they do, Alex also catches the smirk shaping just as instantly those red lips.

"Hey there, gorgeous." Sylvia greets her first before acknowledging with a nod and a much softer and more friendly smile her business partner too as she the door closes softly behind her and she steps further inside. " _Nicole._ "

And Alex thinks that it's only fair, since her best friend has been teasing, testing her for the past few minutes, been reduced to her source of amusement, that now _she_ gets her vengeful turn and take a wicked kind of pleasure in witnessing one of the rarest and most entertaining sights ever.

Because it's an absolute _delight_ watching as her usually collected, cocky business partner falls into that flustered state that makes her cheeks tinge into a blush, soft but not enough to not be visible even in the dim lighting - when Sylvia greets her by calling her with her full first name.

"That's my cue!" Nicky announces, sounding so uncharacteristically awkward, enough that she herself even winces at the sound of her own voice before clearing her throat and shifting the bag of empty bottles on her other shoulder. "Lock up everything, Vause. And whatever you two have in mind... Just..." She shakes her head and gestures vaguely around with her free hand. "Try not to trash the place, would you? 'night."

With that warning and one last salute, she is off, walking out and into the rainy night, swiftly, almost nervously and the sight is so damn amusing that Alex's smirk widens some more with that sense of satisfaction.

"She is _so_ cute," Sylvia comments with a shake of her head, and Alex catches immediately the note of endearment that seeps in her voice as the redhead too, watches her business partner leave.

For a moment Alex even thinks about revealing that _"Yeah well, she has the hugest crush on you"_ but she would never expose Nicky that openly, no matter how annoying she can be occasionally, even though she seriously doubts - especially considering this latest interaction - that such information would even be received as a big surprise from Sylvia.

Her best friend, in all her carefree, easy, humorous attitude, is so much less subtle than she thinks she is.

"You came to pick me up?" She decides to ask instead when Sylvia steps closer to where she is still standing near the bar. "Even this late?"

"But of course," The redhead replies with such honest obviousness. "I didn't want you to get all wet." And then she pauses, red lips shaping once more onto another one of those suggestive smiles that have Alex already guess how she is going to conclude that thought. "Well... Not because of the rain at least."

She still chuckles at the quip, and even if she appreciates the thoughtfulness of the gesture about the drive home, she still feels the need to assure Sylvia that "You didn't have to, though." She glances at the digital clock on the bar station and even though it's the middle of the week and the closing hour is set up earlier respect the weekend "It's quite late."

Sylvia however instantly dismisses her worries with a shrug.

"Don't worry about it. I finished my shift not long ago anyway. And I..." The new pause that follows does not carry that promise of humor as it did the previous one, and, for the first time, Alex witnesses as Sylvia allows that nonchalance that has always fit her so flawlessly, to slips away for a vulnerable moment.

Those silver eyes dart downward for a moment and when they return to meet her gaze again, it's hard for Alex not to notice the new... softness lying in them. Adorned with a tentativeness that is also mirrored in the smile that has replaced the mischievous smirk she has seen playing on those red lips but a moment ago. "I wanted to see you."

There is an honesty to that statement, something naked and a bit raw that Alex is not used to see or hear coming from the sassy redhead.

It truly throws her a bit off balance. Her lips part, but once again she is not given the chance to even think of a reply that Sylvia, probably in a sudden need to reclaim some of the composure that she usually wears so easily, speaks again with all of her confidence back in place as she takes a general look around the empty club.

"And it also seems like you have all the place for yourself." She observes, pleased. "So... I could drive you home, or... what do you say if you lead me to one of the private dance rooms and I give you something to look at?" She asks temptingly, stepping closer and reaching out to play with the lapel of her vest. "I could give you a private show. I still remember some moves."

That voice returns to the low seductive murmur that Alex has come to know, and she is actually immensely glad about the direction the conversation is going towards. It gives her the chance to take her mind off that... uncharacteristically _softer,_ mischief-free look that she has seen shape Sylvia's features, even if just for a moment, and keep her from wondering about what could have triggered such expression.

"Just look, uh?" Alex teases, smirking. "No touching allowed then?"

Sylvia hums, shaking her head as she scans her over, licking her lips, drawing Alex's attention to the pink tongue that darts out to wet that red lipstick, making those lips shimmer even more invitingly.

"For a hotshot like you, _all_ touching is allowed, sweetheart," Sylvia purrs throwing her a wink, and... Alex must admit it, the offer in itself "Sounds tempting."

Although...

"I'm kind of beat actually." She admits, honestly, unable to deny the new... tiredness clinging to her bones. "I... I had my first client today after a long while."

It was supposed to come as an explanation, but Alex is actually surprised, and just as confused, by the tentativeness that holds her hostage for that split moment preceding the revelation of such a plain information.

Even Sylvia seems to look a bit taken aback, and Alex can't help but notice the flash crossing her face.

It passes too quickly, and Sylvia recovers just as fast for her to properly identify it for whatever it is. If she has to guess though, based on the traces lingering on the redhead's expression, she would go for something not far from... disappointment, maybe.

But she chooses to dismiss that review immediately. Because that would be just ridiculous.

Sylvia is well aware of her profession. Alex has even mentioned to her the possibility or returning to take some personal appointments, likes she used to, and there is still no kind of agreement between them anyway.

"So?" The redhead asks her, gray eyes narrowing with suspiciousness. "Are you saying that a newbie got to have the privilege of having a taste of you today but you are too tired for another round?" She asks in disbelief. "Where's all that stamina you usually have, Vause?"

And it's right then, in that question that Alex catches the playfulness in that tone. Feeling somehow relieved by the weight of those doubts that were starting to press more insistently on her, she can't help but laugh.

Because this is what she needs.

Something easy, with no jealousy or any of that relationship nonsense strings to get in the way and make her trip over. And Sylvia... She covers that role perfectly, with no demands and offering the kind of understanding for her particular profession that Alex is well aware is not a trait easily found in many women. It's... somehow _comforting_ knowing that Sylvia hasn't changed her mind about it. And, honestly, it even makes Alex believe a bit more firmly that this thing that they are trying, keeping it casual and light for the moment, could actually work out maybe.

"That's fine," Sylvia assures her slipping back onto that nonchalance with an easy smile and regaining her balance after her temporary stumble, as if she has never lost it in the first place.

"I can just get you home." She offers again. " _Or_ we can stay here for a while longer and you can turn on one of the hot tubs and relax with a soak." She suggests, stepping even closer and with their usual height difference erased by the high heels that the redhead is wearing, the proximity brings them practically face to face, close enough for Alex to catch a whiff of her perfume, and smell the traces of spices in her breath from whatever drink she has been sipping after work before coming here.

"In fact, I have to say that you kind of look a bit tense to me right now." Sylvia takes note, appraising her with attentive eyes, paying particular attention to her posture and the undeniable stiffness in her spine that Alex is well aware of and associates with her general tiredness. "Maybe I can help you with that."

If possible, with that latest suggestion, that voice gains an even deeper, much more suggestive tone, growing that bit huskier, gray eyes turning a few shades darker and shimmering with a look Alex is becoming increasingly more familiar with.

"You still got some steam in there, don't you baby?" It's more like a statement than an actual question, but Alex is far from surprised by that attentiveness. "And I bet it's because whoever newcomer you had to deal with today didn't make you come as I do. _Did she_?"

For how hard she tries, Alex can't help but stiffen up at the mention of her private session, even if she does her best to reduce such reaction to a minimum upon hearing what is indeed quite a rightful, intuitive guess.

" _Sylvia..._ " She doesn't know whether the growl that slips past her lips is a complaint or a warning or whatelse. The redhead, unfazed, doesn't even allow her to say anything more than her name that she continues with another suggestion.

"Maybe you should bring me to one of the rooms if that's the case then. Get naked. I'll jump your bones right there, and I promise you... I'm going to take _such good care_ of _all_ your needs."

Considering the way Sylvia is looking at her, Alex knows that those are definitely not just words. There is all the intention and purpose standing behind that sultry voice and the glimmer rippling so fervently into those silver eyes. The same purpose that she can feel in the hand trailing up her pantsuit with a clear, obvious destination in mind.

"You could _wear_ something if you want afterwards," Sylvia keeps on suggesting, no doubt catching each one of the reactions her body is starting to give away in response to that touch and that seductive purr in her voice, which is already making her blood boil and her insides squirm, and which keeps growing deeper, becoming as thick and rich as hot syrup when Sylvia leans further in and concludes that scenario by delivering one of the most exquisite images for the mood Alex is quickly getting onto. "And if you do, I'll bend over for you."

The hand that has been trailing up the inside of her leg, finally reaches the apex of her thighs, giving a firm, suggestive squeeze that makes Alex groan in the back of her throat as her hips buck, instinctively, into that touch.

It's too much.

Usually, she possesses _much_ more control than this, and sure, she is tired, it's late but it's not that late even if she has definitely spent some energies today, more so than any other day in the club considering the strict office, paper-filling work her job usually involves.

And maybe it's just the need to get loose and properly set aside that control that she's had imposed on herself this afternoon what makes her snap with the aid of Sylvia's compelling words and the even more encouraging touch of that palm cupping her sex rather possessively.

She can't deny the need for release that is there, pulsing in her lower regions and making itself known with more insistence with the alluring scenario that Sylvia has just teased in her mind.

The redhead surely knows, very well, which ones are the buttons to push to get a reaction from her body, and she also knows just as well how to read her.

 _But..._

Alex can't quite shake off that feeling, that sensation about _something_ being already there from before.

A remnant floating barely above the surface of her consciousness.

It just brushes at her awareness, but remains that inch out of her reach, and she doesn't even try to lean forward and grasp it to look at that motivation closer for a better understanding of what brought her to this current state she is in.

She doesn't need understanding right now either way.

...and she deliberately pushes away, dismissingly, the only logical answer that comes to mind.

Because she is a professional. And for how much she enjoys her job and has definitely enjoyed jumping back into a session after a long while with a client showing so much potential, it shouldn't still hold such a lingering effect on her.

Right now, however, she is not in a session, she is not bound to duty, and she just needs that kind of release that Sylvia has promised her. It's that same... primal desire, and a healthy dose of impatience what makes her spin the redhead around and back her against the wall, grabbing her hand and pressing it more firmly against herself.

Sylvia gasps when her back slams onto the wall, a muted sound that turns almost instantly into a hummed, delighted moan when Alex presses their bodies even closer together.

Long manicured hands slip through her hair and this time, when Alex gets pulled into a kiss, there is none of that default sense of inappropriateness urging her to pull back, but... it's also different.

As if she expected... _something else._

The passion is so ferocious that for a moment she even doubts her ability to undertake it, but she does just as fervently, welcoming it, embracing it, and answers it with the same unrestrained desire.

Harsh and demanding.

Lust-driven.

Because right now that's exactly what she needs, what she can _allow herself_ to indulge into.

Including the hand that fumbles with her belt until it comes loose, unbuttoning her pants and sneaking into her panties, finding her already wet and throbbing. She groans into the kiss and feels the overly pleased smirk the lips pressed against her own shape into.

"There you are." Sylvia purrs, recognizing the vicious beast finally breaking free like Alex couldn't allow herself to do before, and witnessing its liberation with absolute delight.

It's tremendously easy break free of those restraints, to unchain that part of herself as the hand between her legs starts moving and she cants her hips forward in response, chasing that touch more than encouraging it. Because Sylvia surely doesn't need _any_ encouragement to keep going other than the slickness of arousal pooling in her palm. But what Alex finds more difficult, what makes her struggle, for how much she wants to enjoy this moment, for how unbelievably skilled she _knows_ Sylvia is with her hands, and is actually providing her with an exceptional demonstration of such talent even there, on the less-than-ideal spot against the wall - is smothering the thoughts that emerge in her mind, stifling that same sensation that she has felt tightening in her stomach earlier, when she was laying down instead of standing, when the hand carding through her hair and urging her closer was shaking in its firmness with that glorious unsteadiness that only a crashing orgasm can be the cause of. And, mostly, when the kiss she was pulled into had smoother edges, the tongue sliding along hers less demanding, and the lips pressed against hers were less plump, thinner, yet softer.

Just... _Different._

...and a bit sweeter.

* * *

 **Yep, I did it again. Someone in the reviews even anticipated that Sylvia was probably lurking around in one upcoming chapter, well dear reader, you were right ;) I know you guys hate (with prejudice, and a passion) Sylvia, but she is not a villain here, she wasn't even in the show actually, but yeah, in case (as someone asked me) you were wondering if I'm for these two being together, I'm honestly a bit offended by the accusation :P After all the Vauseman stories I have written I would have guessed you knew by now that I'm just in one team and one team** _ **exclusively**_ **, come on. I'm using Sylvia as Alex's "girlfriend" because it's the one other woman we have seen her being in a... uh "relationship" with. Sure they have also shown Alex with that chick in the flashback in the hotel but clearly... after Piper, she hasn't had anyone, anywhere close to half serious.** **Side note, I haven't had a chance to catch up and start with the new season of the show yet... I'm kinda busy and you guys are always sooo impatient for an update, lol :P but I wanted to thank you all again for keeping spoilers out of the comments and not mentioning absolutely anything about it :) I truly appreciate your lovely thoughtfulness :)** **Anyway, one more thing, if there are any more doubts about the Sylvia/Alex issue I'm going to make it clear once more, this is a Vauseman story guys, don't worry, in fact things are starting to stir between these two already. Piper is intrigued for more and Alex is sensing something different although she doesn't know if it's due to the enthusiasm about returning to** _ **work with a client**_ **or... you know... If it's the spell of Piper's eagerness mixed with some of that endearing dorkiness :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Hi everyone!

Wow, you guys are truly getting good with your patience! It's hugely appreciated :) As well as all of your wonderful, incredibly flattering comments :D Thank you guys, I'm so very happy you have enjoyed the previous chapter, I know it was more of a filler-feelings-chapter, but even those moments of confrontation with other characters are needed every now and then, especially if it helps the mains to understand something more about what those "feelings" that are starting to get stirred could mean, and to better orient their confusion :D

And speaking of... I must admit that it's quite entertaining reading all of your thoughts and opinions about the whole Alex/Sylvia thing, lol. I have already explained my decision to introduce and keep Sylvia in the story as Alex's "girlfriend", it was my original idea since when I first started thinking about doing this story like a year ago, and I definitely don't regret my choice even if it's getting some of you a bit "riled up", lol. Just... try not to fight with each other over the comments about this topic, all right? Good!

And now, since you have behaved so nicely, here's your treat :D Oh, and this one gets the rating up again for a new session, just so you know :P

Enjoy

* * *

"You're early, blondie."

The next time Piper gets to the club, Alex is not there to greet her. For once, she thinks, when the sky is clear, or as limpid as it can get here in the city, and she does not make a scene upon entering, dressed impeccably and just as perfectly composed as she left the office with that sense of deep satisfaction and accomplishment that comes after closing another contract with a new investor. That resulting burst of confidence tends to make her walk a bit taller, and its presence in her system is what has eaten away the traces of nervousness about this second session, leaving her with just that more pleasant thrill tingling up her spine regarding whatever surprise has been reserved for her this time.

But no. Today, there is no emerald gaze meeting hers when she enters the club and ventures towards the reception, passing the bar along the way, busy with the (probably) regular happy-hour patrons and a couple of bartenders.

Today, she is greeted by a pair of warmer, softer chocolate brown eyes, and a smile that is just as friendly and casual as the greeting, but that, in its nature, somehow, still reminds her of the raven-haired woman.

"Alex scared you off about being late last time, didn't she?" Alex's partner- Nicky, guesses, with that smile tugging ever so slightly into a knowing little smirk, and just like that, all the confidence Piper has walked onto the club with, slips away from her posture. Her tingling spine stiffens up, and her own smile of greeting that she has flashed at the petite woman, falters, falling into disbelief as her lips part, her eyes widening, but its the way her heart stutters and her stomach clenches what almost makes her sway on her heels upon hearing that comment.

"She... She _told_ you _that_?" She can't help but asks, fearing the answer but needing to know. Powerless to do anything about the blush that is already threatening to break on her cheeks and heat up her whole face within seconds.

However, whatever sudden doubts were starting to form in her mind, whatever reconsideration of that discretion that she thought she had seen being at the very core of the raven-haired woman's entire business (along with her impeccable professionalism- which Piper was starting to doubt as well) each one of her sudden uncertainties gets soothed in the moment the petite woman with messy reddish-blonde hair, half- standing and half- perched on a stool behind the reception computer, shakes her head and dismisses her worries with a reassuring smile and a friendly wink.

"Don't worry kid. I'm just messing with you." Nicky confesses. "And my partner is pretty tight-lipped about her personal clients."

And just when Piper's breathing was getting back to normal in knowing that her first impression about Alex hasn't been wrong at all, having the confirmation that she is as professional and discreet as she has given proof to be- that stiffness that was about to leave her spine returns, making her tense up once more.

 _Clients_? She wonders.

As in... _Plural?_

That same feeling that she has felt but a moment ago in her stomach is back too. Only much, much more uncomfortable.

It spreads higher and scratches its way further up her chest. Itching behind her sternum. Spiky. It's... foreign. And she doesn't like it one bit, unable to stop her thoughts from going there and wondering if Alex is taking someone else's appointments beside hers.

But even if she were, why the hell should she care about it in the first place?

The fact that Nicky is giving her an odd look is what motivates her to shakes off that sensation and those... confusing thoughts - even if unsuccessfully though - trying to cover up the slip in her demeanor with a light chuckle and what she hopes is a casual enough "She is _that_ requested, uh?"

She surely does her best to sound nonchalant as she pretends to check for her phone in her purse. But she also has the dreaded confirmation that she has failed when she looks up again and notices immediately how the expression on the petite woman's face has grown even more suspicious.

"She is," Still, even if puzzled, Nicky provides her with an answer, although cautiously, and it's that same hesitation what keeps Piper from deflating in hearing that confirmation. "Or rather she _was_ ," Nicky adds in afterthought after studying her for a few moments longer. "And... even if I'm not allowed to divulge information about our clients, I'm just going to say that for the moment, yours are the only sessions she is taking over personally if that's what you were wondering, blondie."

That smile, that teasing smirk from before, one that reminds Piper so much of the other, taller, dark-haired co-owner of the club, returns in full force, and the blush that she has somehow managed to smother earlier gets the better on her resolution to keep it at bay this time at the... implied accusation that almost makes her startle.

But even though she was _definitely_ wondering such thing, upon getting caught red-handed, Piper, by default, still tries to deny it, because _what else_ could she possibly do?

There is no reason for her to feel that... that _swell_ of relief that soothes the itch that was scratching from behind her sternum after having imagined that Alex had to take over other appointments.

"I haven't... I- _I wasn't-_ " She stumbles in between the denial she wants to articulate, which - poor explanations aside - is highly humiliating considering how exceptionally eloquent she usually is.

"You didn't need to," Nicky interjects, and even if Piper would have considered the interruption rude, especially when she was brewing some coherent defense, it seems like the petite woman's intention is to purely keep her from making a fool of herself, which, if she has to be honest, it's actually kind of appreciated.

Even though she still hears _it_.

That _"explicitly"_ following her statement, echoed in that cocked eyebrow that holds no judgment, but matches more the... amusement curling those lips into a barely hinted smile that Piper also finds reflected onto those dark pools.

"All right, Piper Chapman," The petite woman drawls after a quick look at the lit computer screen on the desk. "Your appointment checks out. Go ahead. Room 9," She informs, gesturing towards the hallway. "It's the fifth one on the right. Alex is probably already there," She adds as if anticipating the question that has indeed flared in her mind, even upon entering actually.

"She is most likely just making sure you have... uh, _everything_ you might _need_." The petite woman concludes, and there it is again, that teasing little smile tinged with a playfulness that reminds her of Alex in a much more evident way.

It surely appears like the two club owners share a few similarities, she observes.

Although... Nicky's approach is quite different from her taller counterpart.

She is more carefree and humorous, while Alex is more professional. Her quips are always so subtly veiled with that attractive hint of mischief that makes them even more appealing, her smiles are often just a small, lingering twitch, but they reach her eyes and make them sparkle, while Nicky's smile is full and unabashed, almost cocky, radiant. Just like her wit is more straightforward. But there are deep similarities in their demeanor, and those are the ones that make Piper wonder how close and for how long the two women have known each other and been friends.

But that is a question she'll have to keep for herself for now. She doesn't want to be late, again, after all, knowing well what would await her if she so happens to keep her Mistress waiting. And so, she thanks the cheeky petite woman, giving her a smile that is instantly returned along with another friendly wink and a very suggestive "Have fun."

She heads for the hallway and, after walking through half of its length down the depths of the club, she finally reaches the right room. The door, differently from all the others, is slightly ajar, and once she peeks inside, just as Nicky had anticipated, she finds Alex already inside.

The raven-haired woman is turned towards the bed though, facing the nightstand, and the fact that she doesn't notice her - and even actually startles a bit when Piper knocks, even though very lightly on the door to make her presence known - it's pretty unexpected and... kind of odd, in a entertaining kind of way considering how she is usually so collected and aware of anything surrounding her, that the sight of her turning suddenly around at the knocking is enough for Piper to forget about her previous moment of mild embarrassment back at the reception due to some light teasing from a certain petite woman.

Because, somehow, having the chance to catch by surprise someone as attentive as Alex usually is, for how foolish it might sound, it's kind of... _stimulating._

"Piper... Hey." However, her inflated ego turns out to have a short lifespan when Alex utters her name in recognition after a brief adjustment of the glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, and upon seeing her and the smile that slowly, and then fully, shapes those soft rosy lips of hers in greetings, Piper feels something in her chest give a little excited jolt, tripping over itself inside her ribcage when she sees the way such smile reaches those eyes and makes them sparkle like two precious, greenish blue aquamarine gemstones.

"You're early."

Piper might even hear the comment, as well as the note of pleasant surprise in that deep voice, but most of her attention has suddenly drifted to Alex's attire.

She is wearing a dress this time.

Nothing exorbitant.

In fact, it's simple enough.

Black, long-sleeved. It reaches a few inches above her knees, but the design is interesting in its simplicity, and Alex wears it beautifully, even though there is no surprise there. Because with her kind of beauty, she can easily imagine the dark-haired woman looking stunning in absolutely anything.

Piper doesn't associate whether the reason for her suddenly dry mouth might be the sight of all those feminine curves hugged so exquisitely by that fabric, all she knows is that it takes her a few attempts to swallow and bring some moisture to her parched throat before she is able to speak. But even when she manages to return the greeting, her voice comes out just barely above a breathless whisper.

However, luckily, she recovers pretty quickly, softly clearing her throat and shaking off her that bit of haze that had momentarily clouded her thoughts, forcing herself to regain focus, mostly because she doesn't know if her ego might be able to withstand some more teasing today.

Still... she can endure some self-deprecating humor.

"I hope that being early does not require a warning, too." She quips, but it sounded better in her head.

It comes out awkward and pretty lame, enough to make her grimace inwardly, but Alex, much to her surprise and immense relief, still chuckles, and...

There it is again...

That _thing_ in her chest, swelling and thrumming in front of that smile taking the awkwardness away and soothing the uncomfortable sting lingering there like a balm.

She diverts her gaze as soon as she feels the familiar heat prickling at her cheekbones, but when - in search for a distraction - it lands on the nightstand next to where Alex is standing, she instantly realizes that it was a mistake, and that she could have endured a bit more that green glint of amusement.

Because she is not one bit prepared for the sight of the array of ropes, individually rolled up and just as neatly lined up on the small piece of furniture.

Alex is holding one, too.

A jute rope.

And whether she was putting them away or pulling them out from the drawer... Piper doesn't know. But the sight of those... items, sure is enough to make her breath hitch in her chest and her heart jolt in that same mix of anticipation and trepidation elicited by the unknown.

The raven-haired woman, as observant as ever, has, of course, noticed her wandering gaze. She has probably even caught the intrigue that Piper is not able to not let transpire, no matter how hard she tries. But she also knows that here - as Alex reminded her during their previous session - she is not expected to mask anything. And, partially, there is liberation in that knowledge as well.

Still, if Alex was right in the middle of something and she has, unintentionally, interrupted her... "I can wait outside if you still have to..." She suggests, pausing, swallowing, and refraining - with all her might - from squirming on the spot when something analogous to a vise wraps tightly around her lower belly.

"-get... _things_ in order." She concludes, and she believes she already knows the answer waiting for her even before she actually sees Alex's smile twitch into that hinted, gorgeous, trademark smirk of hers.

"Nonsense." The charming club owner tells her shaking her head as if thinking of such idea as silly as Piper realizes it actually sounds now that she has suggested it out loud. "Come on in," Alex invites her, and then, _obviously_ "And close the door."

Challenging her slightly shaky legs and fluttery stomach, Piper obeys, and she doesn't know whether it's the sound of the electronic lock of the door closing behind her, or the fact of having Alex giving her a long, thorough once-over when she steps further inside the room what makes her spine tingle more. If the prospect of what is about to come between this walls, or the way Alex is gazing at her attire with such look of blatant appreciation.

She has her answer when the raven-haired woman, after discarding the rope on the nightstand, approaches her with the most simple and easy, yet absolutely honest "You look very nice today."

Alex circles her like a shark, but there is more the curiosity of that same feline-like creature that she seems to resemble so much more and fit the parts of her intriguing character that Piper has gotten the chance to learn so far, especially considering the way she appraises her - erasing any threat of a sudden attack - and loading the first touch, when it comes, with an infinite gentleness and that same chivalry that Piper has already witnessed in the woman before.

She barely allows herself to breathe when Alex stops right behind her and helps her out of her jacket, laying it neatly on the back of a nearby chair, and which purpose, Piper knows, is _definitely_ not the one of a coat-hanger.

The way it's angled towards the bed is suggestive enough, self-explanatory even, and for a moment Piper imagines herself laying down on that vast mattress, completely naked. One hand between her legs, spread open by one of those ropes tied at the foot rail of the bed, while Alex sits on that very same comfortable leather chair and just... _watches her_

"Whatever idea has just crossed that sharp, inventive, _kinky_ mind of yours... I want to hear _all_ about it." Alex breathes in her ear, and honestly, Piper is not surprised in the least by the raven-haired woman's ability to catch (once more) the signs on her face about the scene her mind has just composed, but her stomach still clenches on itself, and that same heat pooled there rises up onto her chest, scalding her neck in knowing that she'll have to actually utter that fantasy out loud, although, luckily, "Later" as Alex informs her, because apparently, right now, she seems to have _every_ intention of looking at her as she is; still dressed. Seeming to appreciate even more the view now with the jacket off her, but, as it did all the other times, Alex's gaze still seems to be drawn below her waist and, more specifically, on the slightly shorter skirt and expensive stockings with an intricate design that Piper might have deliberately chosen to wear today.

She can hear Alex hum to herself, pleased, and when, eventually, she invites her to get comfortable on the bed, Piper does just that, and the extra sway on her hips as she approaches the queen size mattress might not be _totally_ unintentional, just as it might the way she bends (so unnecessarily forward) to remove her high heels before laying down, but she is suddenly filled with this... this _thrilling_ feeling elicited by the sincere appreciation that Alex has shown her and it's just... so oddly empowering. More than enough to subdue the nervous excitement fluttering in her belly.

"As I know you have already noticed, I was sorting through some different types of ropes before you came in." Alex summarizes as she approaches the nightstand again and those same ropes lined up on it like surgical instrument on a tray.

She picks one up and studies the braid, and Piper knows that the show is deliberate, meant to tease and make her squirm, more than for the need of the experienced woman to inspect the item so closely, but... It's working.

Piper... _shifts_ , on the bed. Bending one leg in search of a more _relieving_ position, while one of her hands starts playing with the soft bedsheets at her sides in a silly attempt to keep in check her thrumming nerves.

"I have a few synthetic ones I usually like- liked to use," Alex continues, putting down the rope only to pick up a new one; white, braided, probably cotton-made - and finally turning towards her. "But I know you are all for natural and organic, so..."

The fact that Alex as even taken into consideration the type of material of the ropes based on her own personal taste is a bit surprising, but at the same time it _isn't_ , because the charming raven-haired woman has already offered an ample demonstration, in just one session, about how thoughtful she is.

But this...

This seems like a detail that could have been spared. And yet, for how simple it is, it makes a difference. Not about the material of the braided rope though.

Piper feels that thing again. That little jolt of... _something_ slamming against the back of her sternum, getting strong enough to make the breath catch in her throat when she sees Alex step away from the nightstand and approach the bed, telling her to scoot further up and lift her hands above her head, helping her get onto a position as comfortable as possible with the aid of the soft, memory pillows there before, finally, unrolling the rope.

"Now, I'll be careful," Alex promises, with that inflection in her voice that tells Piper that she is being her serious, considerate self. "And this is not supposed to leave friction burns on your skin. Nonetheless, you still might want to wear long sleeves tomorrow, just in case." Alex suggests her more than warns her, even though she also promptly provides the reason for such an assessment. "I have a feeling you aren't going to be very still."

Piper can't even pretend to look indignant. Because that one it's quite a... rightful accusation. Especially considering how much she has trashed during her previous session.

Still, hearing that certainty in Alex's statement tickles at her imagination, but whatever it is that her Mistress has planned for her today that requires restraint, she is willing to do her best in obeying.

"I'll be good, Mistress." She swears, truthfully, because she has _every_ intention to try and behave properly and give a good impression. She feels confident that she might be able to without much difficulty.

Alex however, looks a bit skeptical, even if she still smiles at her.

"Mhm, we'll see about that." She replies, and there is a challenge in that tone that makes Piper realize that maybe she shouldn't have made that kind of promise, one that, all of a sudden attacks her confidence and makes her think that she doesn't know if she'll actually be able to keep it after all.

A suspicion that only gets further reinforced (even though in the most promising way despite the disappointment of her poor, already wavering resolution) when Alex reaches out and begins tying her up, looping the rope for support onto one of the lower rails of the headboard, purposefully, considerately, to not risk straining and, consequently, excessively tire her arms.

The material is soft, definitely cotton, Piper thinks.

It wraps around her wrists with a pleasure, as if it belongs there, and the way Alex's nimble fingers move, so smoothly, with an exceptional expert ease as she ties what looks to be a simple enough, and yet specific knot, makes the whole preparation feel even more perfect.

"Is not too tight, is it?" Alex asks her once she's done, dutifully, responsibly testing the resistance, but Piper shakes her head, because that rope already feels as if it was braided _specifically_ for her slender, bony wrists. And for Alex to tie it around them...

"No, Mistress."

"Mh, very good. I want you to be as comfortable as possible," Alex tells her. "And have a great view of what I'm about to do to you." She also adds, fixing another pillow behind her shoulders that helps in propping her up some more, and even though Piper is extremely comfortable already, it's the echo of those words and the mischievous smile filled with promises that Alex flashes her before pulling back, what makes her squirm on the spot.

"Now," Alex starts, casually, conversationally almost, as if they were getting tea together.

"Since you've arrived early, and haven't given me the time to get properly changed, I might as well do it here."

Piper was already quite excited as she was, getting accustomed to the thrill of being tied up, but she visibly perks up in hearing _that_.

Her eyes widen and her lips part as she involuntarily sucks in a stuttered breath, and nothing of that, none one single reaction, even the most subtle one, pass unnoticed by that attentive emerald gaze.

"Provided, of course, you don't mind," Alex adds, mockingly. And Piper would maybe even manage a glare if she wouldn't instantly get so very distracted by the sight of Alex reaching behind her back for the zip of her dress in that delicate manner that holds all of her elegance.

Piper doesn't have the time (mostly because Alex doesn't deliberately give her any) to prepare herself for what is most definitely happening before her, and she knows that she could have used some when, a moment later, the zip lowers and she is not one bit ready to witness the sight of Alex undressing.

The dress slide from her curves like water would on a sculpture made of immaculate white marble.

It pools at her feet, leaving Piper's throat dry and her heart thundering in her chest as her eyes rake over every single inch of the woman standing before her, taking in every detail, from the exquisite, black, modestly revealing boyshorts-lace underwear and matching bra, to the hinted definition of muscle on those long legs, scanning across a flat stomach that is just as toned, showing her dedication in what is most definitely a neat and careful nutrition. But it's when Piper's gaze travels further up and she has a better chance to take a more thorough look that she notices and instantly recognizes Alex's true asset.

Or rather, asset _s_.

Because there are _two_ of them.

Creamy, twins mounds that are barely contained into that tasteful bra.

Piper finds herself licking her lips without even realizing it as Alex steps out from the black puddle of fabric of her dress, also discarding her heels before approaching the bed.

She is all, perfect, flawless, toned alabaster skin.

 _Every inch of her._

With the sole exception of a patch of red ink that Piper notices marking the raven-haired woman's shoulder with a tattoo that looks too indistinct from this angle to properly make out the design.

"So, as you might have guessed already, my intention for today was to introduce you to the basic of a certain practice," Alex informs her, still with that same casualness, as if she wasn't laying there, struggling to keep her breathing under some resemblance of normalcy and will her thrumming heart to not crawl up her throat with excitement.

"And this also happens to be one of your fantasies as well, isn't?" Alex inquires, tilting her head to the side with a light frown creasing her perfectly sculpted eyebrows, as if asking for confirmation of something she already knows for sure. And Piper _knows_ that she remembers, because the glint of mischief shimmering into those green gems, betrays that look of pretended confusion. "Being restrained like this, while I do whatever I want to do to you?"

 _It is._

Alex might have been all careful and considerate with her so far with the ropes and with getting her comfortable, but if this is truly what she had in mind for today's session, then it's just the most cruel thing.

 _Rude_ even.

It's absolutely not fair, Piper thinks. Because Alex is standing there, wearing that ridiculously refined, exquisite lingerie and she is tied up, when all she wants is to put her currently tied hands on that... _that_ absolutely _perfect_ expanse of ivory skin, and maybe admire more closely the tattoo on her shoulder among... _other things_ she would like to take a better, more thorough look up close and test the... _softness of._

It's something not far from instinct what makes her tug at her restraints (much to Alex's infuriating amusement and satisfaction, of course) when that thought flares in her mind, coincidently, in the very same moment her gaze lands once again on that... ample, very generous, mouthwatering bosom.

"Already breaking promises, aren't you?" Alex teases her, shaking her head and clicking her tongue in disappointment when she sees her rolling her wrists against the rope.

Piper is inclined to deny, but she doesn't particularly trust her voice right now, and so, she decides that it's best if she stays silent and as still as she possibly can, even with her palms itching at the idea of reaching out and explore that expanse of skin. Keeping from squirming even when Alex climbs into the bed, but eagerly parting her legs in invitation when they get nudged apart by a pair of soft confident, extremely skilled hands.

She hears the groan that follows, rumbling deep into Alex's chest as the raven-haired woman's gaze travels up her stocking-clad thighs and her skirt, with that unmistakable look of pure appreciation that sends another shiver down her spine.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?" Alex asks her, with that kind of suspicious that makes the question sound more like an accusation actually before she - unnecessarily - clarifies. "Wearing the skirt and the stockings." An _"After what I told you last time"_ , follows silently, accentuated by a perfectly sculpted, cocked eyebrow.

Piper swallows.

"Not... _deliberately,_ " She answers. But the lie is easily and instantly spotted in her wavering voice by the ever so attentive woman, who takes the chance to call her out on it.

"You must have dressed up so nice for work then." Alex pretends to guess, willing to play along. "Tried to distract some important investor with... these two _wonders_ you got here." She concludes, and whatever foolish need Piper felt about denying the accusation is broken in front of that scenario, but mostly, it crumbles in hearing that low purr paired with the coercing feeling of that soft, warm hand sliding up the outer side of her calf, circling her knee only to continue its travel further up, on the inside of her thigh, where her skin is more sensitive, and much more responsive at the lightest touch.

Whatever remains of her resolution shatters completely, and she quivers. Bottom lip caught between her teeth to prevent any sound to escape while she musters enough steadiness to answer.

"N-no, I..." She pauses, swallowing hard for a second time in an attempt to get rid of the feeling of her own heart thundering in her throat, echoing in her ears and making her voice shake before finally admitting the truth.

"I did it for you, Mistress."

It comes out much more easily than she thought it wouldn't, but even if it's just her second session and her third time being in a somehow intimate circumstance with Alex, she is quickly getting accustomed to the... oddly _rewarding_ feeling that swells in her chest and erases the traces of embarrassment whenever she utters those truths out loud.

And even this time being honest rewards her with one of those smiles. One of those equally immensely pleased smirks that are as annoying as they are... absolutely beautiful.

"Well now, it wasn't so hard was it?" Alex taunts her, nonetheless even in her teasing Piper still catches that note and that twitch in her expression that almost sounds and looks like... _Pride._ "Doesn't it feel much better telling the truth?"

It surely does, Piper thinks. But what feels even more wonderfully rewarding is the touch of that hand resuming its journey further up her leg.

A second one joins in, and when they both reach the hem of her skirt, Alex spreads them even more apart and holds them open with such a purposeful grip that makes Piper gasp and shiver all over, even though she still resists from tugging at her restraints or from rolling her hips forward. And of course... her efforts don't pass unnoticed.

"You have started pretty good today." Alex praises her. "I knew you were going to be a fast learner."

She doesn't make the lessons easy though, Piper almost wants to reply. But they sure are quite unforgettable, and quite effective even if Alex might teach them with the oldest method there is.

When Piper actually allows her hips to lift the tiniest bit, is just in assistance, to help Alex when she starts hiking up her skirt.

It's tight, sure, but nothing that can prevent those deft hands from rolling it up with all the ease in the world. Because even an inanimate piece of expensive fabric bends and softens and loosens up under such a talented, warm, confident touch.

It makes Piper impatient, but Alex definitely seems to be enjoying taking her time.

Maybe it's deliberate, with that same purpose to tease and make her squirm, or maybe she just wants to... savor that same moment of anticipation that is consuming Piper herself from the inside out.

All she knows, is that with the knot keeping her hands bound against the headboard, it's easy to feel almost like a gift getting unwrapped. With that sort of carefulness in not tearing the paper open, but rather tugging it from the corners with the most accurate attention.

It makes her feel... somehow _special._

Like a prettily decored, precious golden wrapping paper that someone wishes to keep intact.

And it sure seems like her deliberate choice of clothing based on what Alex has oh so blatantly and very openly appreciated about her figure the previous time, is actually giving all the results that she had hoped to receive. Even more so.

As soon as the skirt is rolled as up around her hips as it is going to get, Piper instantly hears the deep, almost guttural growl that rumbles in the back of Alex's throat, and notices how the raven-haired woman licks at her lips as soon as that emerald gaze fixes right between her legs.

Piper might be already hostage of the familiar heat that is slowly crawling from the depth of her chest up to her neck and prickling on her cheeks too, for being observed with such... intensity. But it certainly doesn't stop her from being a bit more daring, fight against that hinted shyness and... part her legs some more as a further invitation.

And, apparently, it's a gesture that gets immensely appreciated given the new sound that grumbles, even lower, more dangerously, in Alex's chest.

"God, look at you... As eager as the first time, aren't you?"

One of those deft hands accepts the invitation, descending for those few inches remaining and... cupping her through her panties, eliciting a breathy gasp from her lips and full-body twitch even if the touch is soft and gentle and meant for nothing more than to... check... her level of excitement.

"And just as ready too, it seems." Alex observes, with that trademark smirk slowly tugging at the corner of her mouth once more.

But Piper knows that such smile, such a blunt statement is not meant to embarrass her. Refreshingly, she is well past that feeling anyway. The hand cupping her sex through that flimsy layer of her panties erases whatever trace of it was left in her and triggers the much fiercer need that has begun stirring more demandingly in her lower belly.

Left with no other choice, in hope to spur Alex into giving her something more, she does the only thing- _utters_ the one magic word she has already learned being the only one able to get Alex to at least listen to her.

"Please..." She begs, and her voice may be a bit feeble, but her gaze doesn't waver when it locks with a pair of darker green pools.

For the briefest instant, she notices as something twitches on Alex's expression, swelling the hope that has nestled in a corner inside her chest, only to have it crushed when that hinted smile on those rosy lips widens into a much more malicious smirk, and Piper learns that asking "please" and being polite, just as Alex herself has encouraged her to do during their first session whenever she wanted to get something from her - it's apparently not a universal rule that works every time.

 _Oh no..._ The notch, it appears, must have gotten much higher already.

Because even if her plea gets definitely heard (just like the plain, obvious need that has seeped in her voice) it goes completely ignored.

"You know," Alex tells her instead, leaving her there to choke down a needy whimper. "For how much I appreciate your exceptional taste in clothing, I feel the need to tell you that you might want to wear some... less expensive undergarments during our sessions." She suggests, cockily. "Or better yet, get rid of them _entirely,_ before you come here."

With that deceiving little smirk, it's hard to tell whether Alex is being serious or just teasing her.

That line marking the border of her humor tends to get thinner in these ... Piper can't deny that such suggestion - whether it was meant as an actual attempt to tease her or not - happens to have a _certain_ effect on her...

There is a kinkiness in it that isn't met in any of her other fantasies. Nonetheless, the scenario surely looks... appealing. Like only a forbidden, exceptionally naughty thought can.

That whimper that she has been suppressing in the back of her throat rises up again and this time, it tumbles from her lips. And for how embarrassing it is, that mewl-like sound is enough to get Alex's attention and for the raven-haired woman to openly acknowledge her pulsing need.

"Oh don't worry, kitten," Alex assures her with that low purr. "You know that I'm going to provide some relief... Eventually." She adds in fact, just as anticipated by that smirk that was starting to tug more visibly at her lips, showing all of those wonderfully devious intentions that her Mistress must have planned before she'll finally have enough pity to bring her to that glorious peak and push her over the edge, watching her plummet from above.

"But right now I feel like indulging myself first," Alex informs her then. And Piper doesn't even have the occasion to look a bit confused by such... puzzling intention, that she gets her answer when that green gaze gets drawn once more between her parted legs. "And you look way too inviting tied up like this not to..." And it's then, when Alex's voice trails off, and hums and licks at her lips that that sense of trepidation and anticipation settles heavily in the pit of her stomach, fluttering with a suspicious.

A wonderful, frighteningly glorious suspicious that gets confirmed a moment later, when those glittering green gems that seem to have turned into an even darker shade all of a sudden, meet her own expectant wide blue eyes. "...get a _taste_ of you."

Piper knew it, she suspected it, but she would have never expected to be right.

Because Alex has already given proof, even in just the couple of occasions they have spent together, to be quite full of surprise. Most of them meant to test her, it seems. And this might as well be just one of those occasions. But even just hearing her actually confirm her assumption, with all the purpose held in that unwavering, malicious-free gaze is simply... promising.

Although not as riveting, almost electrifying, as it is watching Alex lower herself between her legs.

"Try not to get too accustomed to me getting down on my knees like this," Alex tells her, but even if there was any kind of serious threat behind such warning, already smoothed by the return of one of those sly smiles, Piper would still shiver with eagerness and try not to whimper when she feels those hands part her legs some more and sees that same smirk disappear and Alex ducks her head right between her thighs.

The last thing that Piper sees as she lets her head drop back and her eyes to flutter closed in an attempt to prepare and steady her breathing for what is about to happen, are the restraints tied around her wrists, and she really hopes (for her sake and what she is not sure are her intentions to not trash too hard) that Alex has tied them up tightly enough.

Especially since her Mistress seems now even more determined to test their - or rather _her_ resistance.

 **. . .**

Alex tries, she really does, but the smell of Piper's arousal makes it harder for her to resist.

It _calls_ to her.

Strong, heady, tangy, but with a sweetness that teases her nose and gets her mouth watering.

She is able to smell it even if the young woman isn't... completely _exposed_ yet. And if that intoxicating scent isn't enough to make her resolution waver, when (once properly, comfortably settled on her stomach) she glances between the blonde's legs and notices the darker patch forming at the center of the tasteful, expensive lace underwear... Well...

Her tongue starts to feel heavy in her mouth. She lets it dart out across her lips, growling in the back of her throat. And Piper must hear her, because, suddenly, a series of even more powerful shivers travel up her spine, making the young businesswoman quiver under her hands.

Usually, she would probably prolong for a little longer such a delightful moment of thrilling anticipation, but honestly, she doubts that she would be able to resist the call of that heady scent.

She doesn't waste any more time.

Spreading those legs even further apart, and ducking her head, brushing her lips along the inside of Piper's thigh. The muscles that she finds there are so toned at the touch, but the skin under her lips is so, so impossibly soft, and that scent, almost resinous-sweet, gets all the more inviting the closer she gets to the source she is slowly approaching.

She can easily make out the outline of the little bundle of nerves from underneath those black lace panties and for a moment, considering that sight paired with the moisture that she sees seeping through the fabric, Alex is actually left quite surprised by the control that her young client is displaying. Keeping her urge to squirm and cant her hips, checking those impulses with remarkable control and letting just a few twitches and needy whimpers escape.

She truly is impressed, and such display of self-restraint leaves her thinking that she would be a very poor teacher if she didn't reward such good behavior properly.

It's as much of a reward as it is self-indulgence though when she leans in for those few inches left and gets Piper accustomed to a more intimate touch by brushing her lips against that spot where the juncture of her thigh meets her core. And even just that first touch, for how soft and light, almost tentative and even somehow innocent in its nature, is more than enough to get the young woman lying beneath her to respond.

The muscles under Alex's hands flex as those lithe hips roll forward. It's just a twitch though. One followed by the sharp intake of breath that she hears slip, sibilant, through the blonde's lips.

But it's still nothing compared to when Alex dares to nibble, still gently, carefully, at one of those fleshy outer lips, or when, finally, she decides to aim for the sweet, most responsive spot of all by opening her mouth and extending her tongue.

And it's then, at the first lick through those panties that she receives a full response, no matter how numbed the feeling might be perceived through that flimsy material. It's clearly more than enough to make Piper shake under her hands as her hips lift, canting forward hard enough to force Alex to reach out and set her hand on the young woman's lower belly to hold her down.

Maybe she should have tied up her eager young unexpert client with a couple of more ropes, she thinks, but it's a thought that gets immediately dismissed.

Because Alex appreciates and revels, _so much,_ in each one of those enthusiastic reactions and feeling them in their full extent.

Piper's clit feels even firmer and more swollen under that thin layer of clothing than what she had first assumed, and if she keeps the flat of her tongue pressed there for a moment longer she can actually _feel her throbbing._

The young blonde woman whimpers above her, and Alex notices, pleased, that her request from last time about not smothering the sounds of her pleasure has been taken into full consideration as those muted whimpers turn into breathy sighs, and then - as inhibition slowly start to slip off her conscious grip - into louder moans that only keep increasing, much to Alex's satisfaction.

Each swipe of her tongue takes away more and more of the blonde's resolution. Soon enough, the earlier promise about being good and not squirming too eagerly gets swallowed by the desire boiling in her veins. But it's not like Alex minds it. Quite the opposite, frankly. And even if she doesn't have a direct sight of the blonde right now, she doesn't need to pull back and glance up to catch a visible proof of the way she is beginning to crumble, feeling how much more restless she is growing, how ardently she yearns for a firmer touch of her tongue, how desperately she searches for the rest of the warmth of her mouth that just teases her through her panties.

Alex uses her lips to mimic a sucking motion against the damp fabric, and then her teeth to tug at it as a teething hungry wolf would do. Reveling in the knowledge that these teasing attention are making the young businesswoman beneath her hands grow wetter but also increasingly more frustrated. Even more so when Alex decides to reach out with one hand and use it to pull and shape onto a string the crotch of those dark lace panties, trapping her clit under it, bringing a bit more of pressure, and also exposing those puffy, smooth outer lips.

They are pink, swollen, blushing with the same need that is getting Piper's breathing more uneven with each passing second, but mostly, they are glistening so, _so_ invitingly.

Alex would just have to lean in and gather some of that wetness shimmering on that tender flesh with her tongue. Get a proper taste that isn't numbed by that thin barrier, but... She refrains.

She is going to save this for another occasion, she decides.

Because even though she would simply love to keep going at this pace and test the young woman's limits a bit further, there are a few more things that she would like to test today. Much more purposefully too, given the opportunity of already having Piper all tied up and spread open for her.

Although, she must admit, that the exquisite moans that slip from the blonde's lips, and the way she starts writhing in that combination of pleasure and frustration, only makes it so much more difficult for Alex to pull away, because the young businesswoman surely seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit despite the teasing nature of her touch.

Still, even that kind of indirect stimulation is preferable to no stimulation at all, and that's what Alex gets the confirmation of when she pulls back and Piper, instantly chants her disapproval.

Shamelessly so.

"No no no no _n-no, please!_ "

 _Poor sweet thing,_ Alex thinks, deviously and sympathetic all at once, watching as Piper struggles to regain some resemblance of control over her own quivering body. No doubt she must believe that Alex has pulled away because of all the hard struggling she has been doing against the restraints. "Please, Mistress... I'm- I- _I need_ -"

Listening to what she needs would be interesting. Especially if the young woman would decide to be... particularly, explicitly _descriptive._ Alex however, still decides to interrupt her though by clicking her tongue and shaking her head in disapproval.

"Now now. You were doing so good." She tells her, knowing that the praise, for how little, will somehow - at least partially - soothe her young client, but also feeling the need to remind her of _her place._ Of _her role_ in this. And of what kind of behavior is _expected_ from her.

"Do I have to give you another lesson about patience like I've done last time?"

It's actually kind of endearing watching the way those deep blue lakes widen, see the fear flash across them and shaping those young features with pure dread. Because if Alex has made sure to deliver one message in particular during their previous- _first_ session, is that she is not one to make empty threats. And Piper might still be inexperienced, sure, but she is also as eager as she is smart, and she has surely already learned such a lesson.

Alex watches her throat bob a couple of times while she waits for an answer that is delivered just a few moments later, once the young woman has managed to get enough moisture in her mouth. "N-no, Mistress."

And it may come out in a slightly shaky, raspier voice, but Alex can't deny her a smile of approval for providing that answer so politely and so _respectfully._

"Mh, I thought as much." She nods knowingly. "But even though I would love to tease you like this until you won't have any other choice but come," She admits as both of her hands sneak stealthily down those smooth thighs and reach for the band of those now completely ruined panties. "I'd prefer something a bit more... _direct_ right now."

She watches with that sense of tingling satisfaction the way Piper's eyes widen with instant recognition and feels that same eagerness starting to thrum once again through the blonde's body, seeing it in the way she lifts her hips, to help her to get rid of that piece of undergarment.

It clings to her core, sticky with the arousal that, when she slides them off those endlessly long legs, she can also smell even more strongly than before with no barrier in between.

But for how wonderful that scent is, for how much it gets her salivating all over again, it's still nothing compared to the sight she is met with when, after discarding the underwear aside, her gaze drops in between those shyly parted legs.

It's the first chance that she actually gets to admire the young businesswoman this... closely. So... _Intimately._

And now that she does, she is not sure if a simple _"beautiful"_ would actually get close to enough to cover the sight before her.

Because Alex has seen her fair amount of pussy, both in her professional and personal, private life, but the one spread open before her, with those puffy, exquisitely swollen, smooth outer lips, with that gracious, blushing little bud jutting out from beneath its thin protective hood, and the tight opening resting a few inches below, twitching, begging to be stretched and inviting her to do it sooner by the gush of clear, viscous arousal that oozes out... It's just...

She barely registers the groan that slips from her own lips.

"You have the prettiest pussy that I have ever seen."

She doesn't dare to divert her gaze from such wonder to seek Piper's and convey all of her sincerity, but she knows that if she did look up, she would most definitely find a pretty blush tinging the blonde's cheeks, and she can already draw that state of slight shyness even just by noticing how the legs before her start to close by the knees with unmistakable self-consciousness.

But Alex _doesn't allow her_ to close them, she reaches out and nudges them open once more. There is some resistance at first, but it melts soon enough under the comforting softness of her touch.

Another whiff of that scent reaches Alex's nostrils and she gets completely under its spell when she reaches out with one hand to cup the source leaking so abundantly, sliding her fingers along each side of that throbbing little bundle of nerves and giving a squeeze that, for how gentle and tentative, it's still more than enough to make Piper shiver and choke on a stuttered moan.

"And one of the most responsive, too." Alex also observes, mostly to herself though, in a low approving murmur that completes her previous comment.

This time she doesn't have any intention to delay.

With that sticky warmth coating her palm and burning through her skin, Alex is not sure she would be able to drag this for much longer even if she wanted to.

And even if the heaviness that she has felt earlier on her tongue is back, and her mouth is watering all over again with that scent tingling her nose, remembering about the smooth softness, the heat, the _tightness_ that has been wrapped so wonderfully around her last time, renders the idea of being buried inside that clinging heat irresistible. And it seems like Piper, if the way she gasps and tugs at her restraints and barely refrains from rocking her hips forward to not show too much impatience when Alex presses the tips of two fingers against her twitching opening is anything to go by, then even her young client seems to be rather enthusiastic with this alternative as well.

And so, encouraged by such fervent approval, she presses forward, watching the way Piper's eyes flutter shut, rolling onto the back of her head, the way her neck cranes back, the way those lips part in a muted gasp, and how her hands clench from where they are tied above her head. Forearms tensing up, muscles straining, veins bulging so delightfully and sneaking all around like vines.

Alex doesn't meet any kind of resistance, getting swallowed inside with nothing but the most absolute eagerness, welcomed by those fluttering inner walls that clench instantly, greedily around her.

Piper's prolonged apnea ends when she slides all the way in, and as soon as she does, the air leaves her lungs in a long shuddered breath that trails off into a sob of relief for finally being filled, while her hips give an instinctive and pretty violently jerk forward.

Whether it is a spasm or an actual incitement to start moving, that reaction instantly reminds Alex of her previous consideration about using a couple of more ropes on the young woman to hold her down more firmly. And after having discovered what kind of... effect, listening her talk has on her client, well... It only serves as a further encouragement for Alex to tease such a scenario in the young businesswoman's kinky, intriguing mind.

"I have to say, you look quite pretty all tied up like this," She admits with all her honesty. "And you sure seem to be enjoying yourself already." She also points out, a bit cockily, too. "But I can't help but wonder if you would enjoy it even more if next time I'd decide to tie you up even by your thighs and ankles."

The squeeze that Alex receives back for teasing that image is powerful. Those inner muscles flex around her fingers with the same approval that she finds on Piper's face.

Alex hums, and the smile that was already playing on her lips stretches into a full smirk.

"I knew you would have found the idea appealing." She purrs, and then, just because taking such route has also opened a vastness of options in her own mind... "Who knows, maybe I'll even decide to tie you to a spreader bar."

The response to such an even more explicit scenario comes with another squeeze and feeble moan, but this one is much tighter, almost painfully so, enough to tear a growl from Alex's chest.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" She asks, rhetorically, but receiving back a whimper that to her ears sounds like the most absolute assent. "I'll try to remember that." As if she could _ever_ forget such a thing...

For now however, even though the items that she would need to turn what is definitely now a new fantasy she'll have to add to the list, are not far away and she'll just have to get to the room nearby to get the spreader bar, there is no way she is withdrawing her fingers from that blissful, fluttering warmth that seems to have molded so perfectly around her.

Also... Her young client, for how eager and enthusiastic she seems about discovering new things, she could use some more training first, and also get some more familiar and accustomed with the general concept of being tied up as well. Something that Alex had planned to introduce to her today. Well, at least she is going to do so, a bit more extensively, after this initial warm up. Because that's what this is...

And so, even though it feels wonderful, for how much she would like to indulge and just savor that clinging heat surrounding her, as soon as those muscles lose some of their grip around her from the previous squeeze and she is able to move again, and has the confirmation that Piper is indeed ready for more given the needy whimpers that she hears coming from the young woman and the way she barely refrains from lifting her hips to not appear too eager, Alex starts moving. Although, instead of pumping her fingers in and out, focusing on the sole penetration, she feels somehow more compelled to... search for that _spot_.

That very specific, extremely sensitive spot that she has felt during their first- During the previous session. And... it's not hard to find at all.

She merely has to curl her fingertips upwards against that spongy, slightly ridged front wall and...

 _There it is._

It's even firmer and so much more swollen that the little bundle of nerves throbbing against the center of her palm. And when she wiggles her fingers inside to rub it...

" _Oh my God..._ "

The moan is deep and raspy, breathless when it slips past Piper's lips. But even if the young woman might be caught by surprise by that unexpected shock of pleasure, those long legs of hers act instinctively, falling even further apart, shakily, while her chest pushes forward, back arching off the bed, offering such an exquisite sight and yet another invitation that Alex isn't certainly going to turn down.

She doubts she would be able to, honestly. There are few things that would make her give up the warmth wrapped so gloriously, so exquisitely tightly around her fingers. Like a fire maybe.

She gives Piper barely enough time to catch a few sips of air though, before starting to stroke repeatedly that extremely sensitive, exceptionally responsive spot. And from the way the blonde begins to writhe beneath her, and her gasps turn into harsher, louder moans as soon as she picks up a purposeful rhythm, Alex already knows that her young untrained client isn't going to last for long.

But she sure has every intention to try and prolong this bliss for her for as long as she'll be able to.

 **. . .**

The stretch feels _wonderful_.

Blissful.

It stings a bit, but in that way that only adds to the pleasure that Alex's long, nimble fingers bring her. Filling her up just so perfectly. And when those slender digits finally start moving inside of her, even though Alex decides to settle for a slow pace at first, the pressure inside her feels absolutely incredible.

The thrusts don't get much deeper even when, eventually, she increases the rhythm.

They remain short, shallow, but immensely effective. Each once completed by the curling motion of the tips upwards.

The gesture sends a spark of sharp pleasure all the way to her throbbing clit, and tickles a bit right behind her bladder.

It's a sensation that makes her squirm after a minute, because it almost gives her that feeling like she might need _to_ -

Instantly, Piper tenses up, as soon as she recognizes that... _that urge._

"Alex- _Mistress_ ," She corrects, promptly, warningly, squirming away from that touch and instinctively trying to reach out between her legs only to be stopped by the tug that reminds her of the restraints tied around her wrists, leaving her only with her voice to utter her... _warning._ "I think _I_..." But even that betrays her, trailing off, leaving her there blushing, embarrassed, because she didn't feel the... _need_ _to,_ when she first came in or even barely a couple of minutes ago.

She would have _if_ it was actually there earlier.

It's all too sudden and strange and... _different,_ somehow. And asking if they could pause so she could go- so she could take a... _break,_ would most definitely ruin this whole wonderful, passionate moment, which is the last thing she wants. Although, if she doesn't... _Well..._

She struggles to find a way to put her request- her _concern_ into words, but it seems like she doesn't even need to complete it, because Alex, succeeding in surprising her once more, simply looks at her as if she is already perfectly aware of what she is... _sensing._

"I know." The raven-haired woman reassures her, and there is just that look of understanding in her eyes, serious, but calm, free from any of those sparkles of mischief for once. Almost... comforting.

"It's just an impression." She tells her. "Don't worry."

But even with that assurance, delivered with such a smooth, soothing tone, Piper most definitely _does worry._ Doubtfully complaining.

"I-I'm not sure if-"

Only to be interrupted once more.

"It's okay," Alex repeats. And then... _"Trust me."_

That same something that Piper has experienced earlier behind her sternum, gives another little jolt upon hearing those two words. But it's the unwavering certainty in those green eyes as she is encouraged to, that easy understanding as if the raven-haired woman really, truly knows what she is experiencing, that, eventually, gets the rest of her body to obey to the two simple advices that follow. "Just breathe," Alex tells her, softly, with none of the authority her voice has been loaded with till just a minute ago, but only the purest, rawest reassurance. "And let it _go_."

It may be the sound of that deep, suddenly softer voice or the persuading power of those green eyes that melt away the tension that has taken hostage her body all of a sudden. But her muscles start to relax once more and as she focuses on that touch, on the pleasure that it's drawing out of her, that other... _feeling_ resembling an incredibly familiar, primal, _physiological urge,_ passes in the background, leaving the much more vicious, demanding one of her desire swelling tighter in her lower belly. Which skyrockets at the increasing pace of the fingers pumping more steadily inside of her.

It's not until the very last moment, when her hands are already clenching into fists and she is tripping over that precipice that _that urge_ from before resurfaces. And by then... It's too late.

Alex's fingers, and her own body - put to endure such wondrous feelings - decide for her, dragging her down to an hot-white abyss of pleasure. To a level so profound she has never known or experienced before.

A vortex that swallows her whole and she has no choice or desire or strength to fight against.

Every muscle in her body flexes for that broken second that seems to last for a short eternity, and then, the tightness that had swelled in her belly, that spring coil that had curled so tight on itself to the point that it felt like it was almost ready to burst... it finally does.

It snaps, shattering, forcefully, gloriously.

Letting her release flow freely.

With several, intermittent, sharp spurts of _wetness_.

 **. . .**

Alex knew this could happen.

A part of her might have even been hoping to receive such response, but in the moment that coil breaks and Piper's release burst free, quite literally, she is actually startled with surprise by the force of that gush of warmth that erupts and splashes against her palm and wrist, dripping down those smooth trembling thighs and pooling on the sheets below.

But even when caught so off guard by such a powerful release, she doesn't stop, it only encourages to keep going, curling her fingers even more precisely over that spot against that front wall, even if the muscles clenching so tightly around her, rippling with the spasms of the orgasm, makes moving more difficult, but she doesn't stop, not even when her wrist begins to ache, not even when that ache threatens to turn into the beginning of a cramp.

She keeps going until Piper slumps onto the bed, limp, spent, panting and twitching. Looking positively, _literally_ drained, and just as blissfully sated as Alex herself feels in front of such a delightful sight.

 **. . .**

As her orgasm tappers off, the first thing that Piper tries to remember is how to properly breathe.

But her lungs don't seem to be willing to cooperate or even able to take anything more than a few short gulps of air and the position, having her hands tied against the headboard doesn't help her ribcage to expand to its full capacity.

But that light, pleasant kind of discomfort is short-lived when she feels the mattress dip beneath her, and then senses a hand reach for the knot of her restraints and tug her free with one simple swift movement.

Her arms fall bonelessly above her head, trembling just like the rest of her body, with the current of electricity still zipping through her entire system, lighting up every cell in its wake.

Distantly, she feels something shift inside of her, and then... That same something withdraws, leaving her empty. _Painfully,_ _frustratingly_ so _._

She whimpers and even if her head is swimming and her awareness, just like her strength, seem to be nowhere to be found, her eyes still flutter open, bleary, unfocused, in search for understanding.

The first thing that she sees, the one that brings her back to reality, is a pair of sparkling, smiling emerald eyes gazing down at her, and a pair of lips stretched into a wide, absolutely ecstatic grin.

And just like that, suddenly, everything that has happened in the past couple of minutes comes flooding back with a vicious, unstoppable force that makes her head spin and overwhelms her senses.

She pulls herself up, scrambling back towards the headboard with a start. Gasping when she looks down at the bed only to have her dreadful suspicious confirmed, freezing her there on the spot.

The fine sheets beneath her, as well as Alex's hand and wrist, are wet, covered with this... this shimmering _fluid_.

As clear and transparent as her utter mortification, which, unfortunately though, is quite visible. As a flaming hot blush that starts on her chest but quickly crawls all its way up to her neck, flaring to its brightest all over her face like a beacon.

She doesn't think she has been more embarrassed in her entire life. And yet, when she dares to look at the raven-haired woman again, with her mouth agape, hanging as wide open as her disbelieving blue eyes, fruitlessly trying to form words, like any sort of apology she can think of, Alex is still grinning at her, looking so deeply, immensely pleased and totally unconcerned by the state of the expensive sheets.

"Well... That was quite unexpected," The raven-haired woman says, as she reaches out with her clean, dry hand and with an infinite gentleness, brushes aside a strand of her blonde hair from her face. "But so delightful to witness." And Piper might still be a bit lightheaded, but she knows that a touch shouldn't convey all that comfort and soothe so easily the choking combination of embarrassment and anxiety that was starting to swell, tighter and tighter in her chest.

 _But it does._

Just like that smile laced with something akin to... pride that tug at those soft lips and reaches those emerald eyes, making them sparkle so beautifully.

"And trust me, it's going to make our sessions _so_ much more interesting."

* * *

 **Oh yes... Piper Chapman is an** _ **"every time"**_ **squirter. Only with Alex though ;) Pass it along :P**


	10. Chapter 10

Hey there!

I know, I know... It has taken me a bit longer to get this one done, but it's _soo_ long you guys. In fact my initial idea given the length of this chapter was to split it in two, but I refused to do that. Instead, I decided to make you wait a couple of days longer so this way at least I'm able to present you something complete :D

As always I thank you all, _so much,_ for being so awesome and kind. I can't tell you how happy I am to know that you are liking the story and have enjoyed the previous chapter :D

Now, about this one, I doubt that many of you (considering some of the thoughts left in your reviews) expected this chapter as I have decided to do it but... Oh well... I won't say a thing! ;) I'll just remind you that the story is rated M for a reason, and I'll leave you guys to find out the rest :D

Enjoy

* * *

Piper must admit that, initially, during her first session at the club, during her first and also second time with Alex, she might have thought that her inability to keep any resemblance of control within her, had slipped from her grasp because she has simply, sadly, sorely been touch-starved for an embarrassingly long time.

She had drawn such initial conclusion simply by exercising the logic based on the belief (or rather her disbelief) that someone, especially someone she is just starting to know, no matter how charming and intriguing and appealing they might be, happens to possess the ability to read her through and through so effortlessly, meeting her body's demands just as easily and in the most satisfying of ways.

Part of her, for how small and secluded, is somehow saddened by the knowledge that no one of her previous sexual partners has been able to make her feel _a fraction_ of what Alex has made her feel in barely a couple of sessions.

The other part of her however, the one that is eating away that slimmer, thinner sadness, is ecstatic that she has taken Polly's advice - even if she would never probably admit it out loud to her best friend, especially since such "advice" has been thrown in rage during a particularly awful fight. Because this way she is getting to experience what she truly believes real pleasure is, and how it's supposed to feel like.

She has never put in doubt Alex's abilities or her vast _professional_ knowledge in general.

But Piper is either starting to believe that has never known a proper, considerate touch, or the raven-haired woman is a force of nature in getting what her body desires and fulfill even the simplest, most basic request so thoroughly.

Three sessions.

That's how long it takes for Piper to get completely, wholly convinced that her original touch-starved assumption might have even be correct, but that it's also not enough of an excuse for getting so profoundly addicted to Alex's touch and, especially (conflictingly so) to all the equally frustrating and oddly gratifying teasing that her Mistress puts her through. Something that the raven-haired woman herself sure seems to take great enjoyment in doing. In _testing her_ only so she can learn her further. Which means taking things slow.

And today it's a perfect example of that.

Because while Piper revels, so deeply, in the way Alex touches her - unhurried and careful, especially at first, both to get her accustomed and make her crave for more at an increasing pace before she'd finally provide the exquisite stretch of another one of those long, skilled digits slipping past the tight ring of muscles at her opening - today, even with three fingers already buried deep inside of her, pumping slowly, deeply and steadily in and out, stroking - so deliciously - every single one of those most sensitive spots that Alex, with all of her expertise and extremely perceptive senses, finds quite easily along her ridged, fluttering walls, today Piper feels this _aching need_ for-

" _More_..." She whines, breathlessly arching into that touch that for how exquisite, right now though is just not enough. "Please, more."

Two words.

Along with _"Mistress"_ , three makes it the only reasonable number she can manage to utter at once in these circumstances. Because apparently, one of the things she is getting used to, for how uncomfortable and foreign, is that the eloquence that she possesses and is so proud of, is, (just like her patience and usually impeccable composure) _not_ one of the virtues that she seems to be able to embody whenever she finds herself between these walls, laying on this bed, on her back, with Alex's fingers reaching deep inside of her, gradually but surely driving her close to insanity, until she is rendered nothing but a boneless, quivering, panting, sated _wet_ mess.

The request flits in between one of those breathy sighs that have been slipping from her lips for the past several minutes, which have been as gloriously blissful as they have been agonizingly frustrating, and that have already started to take that needier edge that makes them sound more like whimpers.

Still, two words (and a particularly greedy flutter of her inner walls around those long, slender digits) are all she needs to get her Mistress' attention.

Alex glances down at her, swallowing the rest of the growl that has rumbled deep down in her chest upon feeling those muscles clench so tightly around her, and honestly, Piper is not one bit surprised to find the slight curl of that trademark smirk already shaping those rosy lips; so unimpressed, so deeply pleased, as if her Mistress was actually _waiting_ to hear her utter that very same plea for some time now. As if she has been slowing down, deliberately, so that she would be _forced_ to make such a request.

And if that is the case, if this was her intention, then such tactic, unsurprisingly, has definitely worked.

"I'm not enough for you today, am I?" Watching that sly smile stretch into a wider, knowing grin, makes Piper's cheeks tinge into a blush of embarrassment.

It's faint, but even under the dim lighting in the room, it's not light enough to pass unnoticed by that extremely attentive, piercing, stunning aquamarine gaze.

Nonetheless, even when she is being so transparent, Piper's first instinct to kick in, by default (one of the very few instincts that - surprisingly - seem to survive even in such circumstances) is, of course, deny such (rightful) assumption.

"N-no, I just-" She stammers, awkwardly, much to her growing embarrassment.

But amidst that fog of lust that is slowly clouding her thoughts and that - combined with the wonderful feeling of those fingers moving inside of her - are quickly sending adrift her general awareness, she realizes that she must have also forgotten how Alex is perfectly able to not only read her body by noticing even the most minimal reaction that her touch elicits, but she is also exceptionally perceptive and just as talented in catching with tremendous ease those emotions that tend to bubble up to the surface as her inhibition lowers during these... explicit moments, seeing effortlessly through that fabricated denial.

"Don't lie to me." The reprimand comes as expected, but Piper still has to understand how Alex has this power to make her feel like a scolded child, while also, with that deep voice of hers dropping into a warning tone (which in these three sessions has never failed in sending electric sparks down her spine whenever she's heard it) ignite the desire that is already there, pooled and simmering quietly in her lower belly, making it _boil_.

"You truly think I can't feel it?" Alex asks her accusingly. "How _wet_ you have gotten?" She specifies. "How _open_ you are?"

Piper squirms, tugging at the restrains she has forgotten were there, looped so skillfully around her wrists and tied to the railing of the headboard, trying to swallow (unsuccessfully) the shyness that is swelling into the much more consistent embarrassment that she can feel crawling up from her chest, scalding her neck and face with an even hotter flush.

Because even without Alex listing her current conditions so explicitly, Piper is quite aware of them herself.

Painfully so.

Usually (or so has been for the past two sessions at least) her inner muscles have to adjust to make room around the welcomed intrusion of Alex's fingers. And even if they mold almost instantly around her like a perfectly matching piece that has been missing, the remaining space is reduced to just that minimum required to allow movement.

Today, however, she is indeed particularly... _dilated_

And craving for that _something extra_ that would fill the remaining aching space left inside her.

She doesn't even get it...

She has never been fond of penetration.

Her previous experiences involving it have never left her particularly satisfied.

Sure, her previous excuses of sexual partners have never been very prepared or even enough aware of her needs either.

 _But Alex,_ well...

In so little time, since the very first session actually, the raven-haired woman has managed to turn around some of her previous beliefs about sex. About what it means to her, and what she expects from it.

The image that it should represent is still changing before her. Twisting and constantly re-shaping itself. But she is starting to make out the outlines of the form and catch the first glimpses of the brushes of colors that Alex paints with each one of the attention that she pays her, with each one of those considerate touches paired with a few particularly dirty words whispered hotly, explicitly in her ear, creating a contrast of complementary colors which juxtaposition shouldn't work, and yet _it does,_ so exceptionally for her, rendering the experience all the more enjoyable and making her fluctuate dizzyingly in between a vast range of emotions during each session, leaving her not only deeply satisfied physically, but also at a deeper, more... preconscious level, where some of her fantasies (some she didn't even know she had and that are now definitely going to be added to the list) are still half-hidden, but they are starting to emerge. Peeking just barely above the surface with Alex's aid and her encouragement to let go of whatever weight keeps her anchored to the world outside of this room and the safeness in it.

Because there is no comparing it with the safeness and understanding that she has found in here.

Even this one, even _this pulsing need_ that she is experiencing today, so vicious in its demanding nature, like she hasn't felt in such a long, long time, is indeed the result of the raven-haired woman's skills and her encouragements in exploring.

"That's fine..." And it is exactly Alex's voice, suddenly softer and soothing with the reassurance she wants to convey, what pulls her out from those thoughts, dragging her back into her body, still thrumming with that aching desire that only swells further when the fingers resting deep inside of her slow down to a painfully frustrating halt.

Another whimper slips past her lips, but even in that lust-drugged state Piper is wise enough to not dare to lift her hips as an incitement for Alex to resume the movement.

"I may not be... anatomically equipped," Alex quips, so unexpectedly that it almost throws her a bit off balance, even though she notices immediately that look of _something,_ something she cannot quite name, flashing across her Mistress' face under that hint of humor tugging at her lips; a twitch in her expression that seems to add a sentiment of gratefulness to that previous statement. And for how fleeting, Piper still catches that twitch on those gorgeous features, and she might have even found that ephemeral expression somehow... _amusing_ , wasn't she currently so desperate, and growing even more so once the obvious implication behind Alex's words sinks in, all at once.

"But I've actually been waiting for the right occasion to introduce you to something that would do the job just fine." The raven-haired woman continues, feeding her suspicion with the curious little smile that shapes those rosy lips of her, making it grow into that combination of hope and trepidation.

"Usually, I would get _you_ to retrieve it," Alex informs her. "But..." And then that deep voice trails off into a pause as those stunning green gems rake up and down her naked, quivering body. Those full, impossibly soft, rosy lips curl up higher. The smile there twitching into one of those smirks that would make Piper's knees buckle weren't she currently laying down. "I have a feeling that if I asked you to do it, you might collapse under your own weight right now."

And, at this point, that smirk might even have blossomed all of a sudden into a full, flagrant grin, but Alex is not being cocky or flattering herself by merely stating what is so indisputably obvious.

Because Piper _is_ shivering all over, and her legs _do_ feel like jelly. And for how annoying it is to admit it even just to herself, she doubts that she would have the strength to pull herself upright and sit on the edge of the bed right now. Let alone try to get up on her feet.

Luckily for her though, her Mistress seems to be willing to go retrieve herself the... _item_ that she has in mind, even if, much to Piper's disapproval, getting up obviously means pulling out, and suddenly, when those long, dexterous fingers withdraw from inside her, even though Alex makes sure to do it slowly, carefully, with all her thoughtfulness and consideration about her sensitivity the emptiness Piper is filled up with upon that loss is almost enough to make her sob.

Futile are her attempts to strangle that noise in the back of her throat. A feeble, pitiful whimper still slips past her lips despite her efforts. Loud enough in its quietness to be heard.

"Aw, don't worry, sweet thing." Alex coos somehow mockingly, but the expression that shapes her features and softens those green eyes a moment later holds nothing if not the purest, sincerest reassurance. "I'll be filling you up soon enough." The promise is accompanied by a soothing caress up the inside of her thigh and, as always, held in that exquisitely deeper, slightly husky tone, as well as in the touch of that hand, so firmly gentle in its aimless travel up her leg meant to bring comfort, there is all the intention to keep the given word.

And it's hearing that promise that makes Piper squirm against her restraints, pressing her legs together once Alex retrieves her hand, but the relief brought by that pressure is short-lived, because, after just a few insignificant seconds, that gnawing need returns tenfolds, protesting louder, just in the moment Alex gets up from the bed and she is left there, tied up. Helplessly. Unable to do anything but admire all those smooth curves and the fluid play of muscles on that perfect back and on those long toned legs as her Mistress approaches the dresser against the wall with that feline-light step of hers.

"Now, let's see what we have here..." She hears Alex ponder, deliberately out loud for no other purpose than to inflate the moment of suspense, and pretty much succeeding in her intent given that she takes more time than necessary to search through the ordinate contents held in the small piece of furniture, but Piper (for how hard it is to do so) endures it.

She feeds on the sense of anticipation and frustration growing increasingly tighter inside of her, also taking an odd, undeniable pleasure in watching her Mistress rummage through what probably are many, _many_ objects meant to entertain in the most gratifying ways.

She even cranes her neck a little, curiously, to try and take a peek, but unable to catch a glimpse of anything from her current position, at least until Alex, eventually, pulls out a leather harness and selects a-

Piper's eyes widen, her stomach clenches and inner muscles spasm, violently, painfully tightly around _nothing_ as soon as she sees the thick, bright-colored dildo.

And then, almost as if sensing those reactions and the spike of trepidation and excitement swelling in her chest, Alex turns around to glance at her, but for once, much to Piper's surprise, there is no trace of mischievousness tugging at those rosy lips. Although... she does notice the presence of that certain... _glint_ shimmering into those rippling green lakes.

A sparkle that is starting to look familiar, even if she can't quite place it yet into the vast spectrum of emotions that she is starting to suspect Alex possesses. So much more... _ample,_ than she wants to give away.

The drawer closes since Alex seems to have obviously seen all the approval that she needed on her face, as well as in the rest of her excitedly thrumming body, but, as it seems to be her nature, she still feels the need to point out a few things as a further reassurance.

"So," She starts, reapproaching the bed and carrying the new... equipment of her choosing with her. "I remember the side note that you left in your questionnaire. The one where you mentioned being uncertain about deep penetration," She specifies, but given the circumstances and the selected toys, Piper had already anticipated which note she was referring to, just like she understands the hint of confusion that such note might have elicited in the raven-haired woman.

"But I also remember you checking the box saying open to experimentation with toys," She points out. "So I'm going to assume you would be willing and comfortable to try this after all..."

It's not presented as a question.

Not really.

Alex is clearly experienced and confident enough with her impressive observation skills to draw an accurate conclusion based on the enthusiastic reactions that her body is so blatantly giving away, from the most minimal and unconscious even, like the twisting of her wrists around the ropes, to the most obvious ones, like the way her gaze remains fixed on that thick shaft and the... professional-looking leather harness clasped in Alex's hand. But the inflection in her deep, sweetly husky voice towards the end gives it that inquiring tilt, and she can _feel_ those attentive green eyes appraise her closely, searching her face for even the smallest twitch on her features that might show reluctance or discomfort at the suggestion, but... There is simply none to be found.

Initially, in the moment Piper has first realized where this was probably headed, she might have even felt the itch of something resembling one of those anxious feelings, but before it could have even gotten the chance to evolve and make her jittery, that same sensation was already getting swallowed by the much greedier desire that is still consuming her from the inside, clouding her thoughts and enslaving her will until its domain.

Alex looks at her with a patient expectancy, and when Piper finally provides an answer, her voice, even though deeper and raspier with desire, comes out certain and unwavering.

"Yes, Mistress."

And apparently, the resolution and firmness held in such response - so simple, yet concise - is all Alex needs to hear.

Piper gets instantly rewarded with one of those sly smiles that she is getting quite familiar with.

"Very well then," Alex tells her. "Just..." She pauses, holding up the items in her hands. "Let me saddle up first before I take you for a ride."

The quip is once again marked with the kind of humor that Alex possesses and has offered a few glimpses of, but hasn't slipped previously during their first two sessions. It's a bit... surprising, hearing it here. But maybe... it has slipped because things are starting to get more comfortable and familiar with her. Whatever the reason might be, that note of wit refreshes pleasantly the air around, even soothing some of the jittery nerves that Piper can still feel fluttering in her stomach.

It's just a momentary relief though. Because as soon as Alex starts getting ready, there is no longer room for humor and jokes. The lightness that had seeped into the air just a few moments ago is replaced by a more substantial, thicker haze that fills her lungs and stumbles upon her quickening heartbeat.

Piper has never paid that much attention to details put in preparation of an encounter with her previous partners, but... there is just _something_ so deeply erotic in watching Alex getting ready.

There is an ease with which she steps in the leather harness, regulating and tightening the straps to fit around her slim hips that makes Piper wonder how many times she must have gone through such procedure. She sure looks quite comfortable in the act. And either she's always been this fast in getting... uh, _strapped up_... or she is actually a bit excited herself about this whole thing.

It wouldn't be so surprising if that happens to be the case.

Alex has been teasing her earlier after all with a touch that has been indisputably more tormenting than relieving. Filling her with those long dexterous fingers of hers but not quite giving what she so obviously craved. And this development only makes her wonder if it was all on purpose. If Alex hadn't already planned to get to this very same scenario since she has walked into the room for today's session.

The possibility thrills Piper, overpowering even the trepidation that is fluttering nervously in her belly while also fueling that calmer sense of anticipation that tingles along her spine, increases steadily the more she observes Alex, who looks just as capable (and not in the slightest awkward) when she proceeds to secure the shaft through the round opening located at the center of the harness' crotch.

The only pang of disappointment that Piper feels though, is about Alex's decision to wear all of that professional, expensive-looking equipment over her boyshorts, while she would have maybe preferred to see those leather straps stand out against the perfect alabaster of that smooth, flawless skin.

Still, the sight is... not bad.

Not bad _at all._

The toy gets secured in its place, and once there, the shaft stands between Alex's legs upright.

Tight and hard.

It's not exceptionally long, but it's _thick_.

And it's not so much the girth at the base what worries Piper since she kind of enjoys that extra stretch at her opening - but the one of the flared head is definitely... something _more_ than what she is used to. More than what she's had in quite some time. And the realization that she is going to take all of it inside of her...

She squirms on the spot and whimpers softly. Pressing her legs together a bit tighter, and tugging halfheartedly at the restraints, all gestures that Alex instantly notices of course. Just like she immediately catches her preoccupied gaze fixed on the shaft, examining its... _girth,_ bottom lip caught between her teeth with a hint of apprehension and to prevent any other sounds to escape.

"No need to worry so much, kid." The term of endearment is what catches Piper by surprise, more than the reassurance itself. Her gaze snaps up to meet Alex's, only to feel a little foreign stutter in her chest when she sees how the trademark smirk that is usually shaping those rosy lips, has suddenly been replaced with a softer, mischief-free smile. "It looks thicker than how it's going to feel inside you," Alex continues, providing further comfort, wrapping her fist around the shaft standing between her legs as if to give her an idea of the actual width.

It doesn't help Piper in the slightest though, as her inner muscles clench instinctively, _sorely_ in front of such gesture, around the frustrating emptiness filling her.

"I wouldn't have chosen this one if I knew you couldn't take it." This last reassurance is a bit more practical, logical, but it still holds all of that consideration that never lacks in Alex. And while Piper might still feel a bit nervous, she trusts the raven-haired woman's professional, expert assessment, given that, until now, she has always proven to be extremely reliable -besides exceptionally talented - in what she does and how she does it.

The slightly more relaxed position that her body has assumed after hearing those words speaks for itself, and Alex, seeing it as an encouragement and wordless approval and consent, goes for the last bit of preparation.

During one of the first times they have talked, Piper had already been informed and reassured that all the... equipment that gets utilized go through a meticulous process of cleaning and sterilization after each session, but, for safety purposes, they still choose to use... common condoms as an extra precaution.

And it's right then, when Alex retrieves one from the neat stack in the nightstand drawer, that Piper sees _that look_ again.

That little _twitch_ between those perfectly sculpted eyebrows and the slight twist of her mouth as she picks one up, opens it and... unrolls it from the tip to the base of the toy with what can only be described as an... uncharacteristic hurry.

It's a rather curious expression to say the least. One that almost seems to take away some of the confidence that Alex always carries with her and wears so impeccably.

But Piper doesn't have time to dwell on whatever the motivation behind that fleeting expression might be, that her gaze gets once more drawn to the thick shaft standing at the ready between Alex's legs, now clad by the condom and _glistening_ with a thin layer of a somehow viscous substance.

"Lubricant," Alex promptly informs her, having caught both her staring and the little frown of confusion that has tugged briefly at her features. "Although..." She adds, voice trailing off as she tilts her head to the side and glances between her legs, and Piper, surprisingly, finds out that the hint of self-consciousness that gets inevitably elicited in her in front of such scrutiny, is so mild that she doesn't even feel the urge to close them.

"...I doubt I'm going to need more than the one you have already provided so _abundantly_." Alex concludes, tongue darting out ever so slightly, oh so gracefully, to wet her lips, and in front of such gesture, Piper just wants to _know_ what kind of image that intriguing mind is picturing while that piercing green gaze scans her body up and down.

She doesn't have to wonder for more than a few moments however that an answer gets provided to her voluntarily.

"I have to say, you look so pretty all tied up like this," Piper knows that Alex isn't obligated to compliment her, and that is exactly what makes that... _comment_ sound all the more sincere, even if _she_ has been the one to ask for the restraints this time.

She just... likes, _so much_ , the way the ropes feel around her wrists.

They help in keeping her grounded when the rest of her body seems ready to float away under Alex's expert, _thorough_ attentions.

"And you also seem to enjoy it very much so," Alex observes, knowingly, as if reading her very thoughts, which, at this point, Piper wouldn't even be surprised if she were actually capable of doing such a thing given her extremely perceptive senses.

"Which makes me all the more tempted to keep you just like this."

If her Mistress would indeed decide to keep things just as they are, then Piper isn't certainly going to protest in _any_ way.

There is just something liberating in being tied up. And the irony of such incongruity isn't lost on her one bit. But Alex... It must have all to do with her abilities in making her feel so comfortable, meeting this fantasy with understanding and the kind of consideration that Piper has never found so sincerely in any other of her previous sexual partners.

It's hard not to open up in front of so much understanding and authentic thoughtfulness.

It should sadden her, and maybe in part it does, knowing that she had to _pay_ someone to receive this kind of treatment.

But right now she doesn't want to dwell on those unpleasant, uneasy (kind of depressing even) thoughts.

"However," Alex continues, as if on cue giving her another glimpse of how deeply considerate she is. "Since this would be the first time to get onto this, as a gesture of good faith, and for today _only-_ " She stresses. "I'm willing to let _you_ be on top."

Many were the things that Piper was getting ready to hear, with her thoughts racing as they are none were truly defined, but this... _This_ was definitely _not_ between them. Not even between _the most hopeful_ of them.

She almost does a double take.

Because receiving this kind of permission is... very unexpected to say the least. But the explanation that Alex provides her with makes perfect sense, smoothing out the crinkles of doubt that have inevitably been elicited upon hearing such an awfully generous offer.

"That way you will be able to control the depth and get accustomed in your own time. But once you are ready, I am still going to be the one who chooses the rhythm."

And there it is.

 _The catch._

The compromise that Piper's mind, still working as the one of a businesswoman even when she is tied up and throbbing, _dripping_ with desire, was already expecting, or if not that condition specifically, at least something along those lines.

Because Alex has given proof of being indeed generous, extremely patient and permissive. But only to a certain extent. And those limits are not even what makes Piper worry.

No, what makes her stomach clench with trepidation as if sensing something else, another _"but"_ , another unspoken condition, is the same thing that Alex adds in conclusion, confirming in full that suspicion that she's had.

"And I am going to decide _when_ and _how_ you get to come."

As expected. The additional catch on so much generosity and consideration, turns out to be even more dreadful. And so unbelievably irresistible.

The position is a way to _control_ her pleasure, or rather control the speed with which she approaches that high, glorious peak.

It's wicked.

Cruel even.

And the prospect shouldn't secretly thrill her as much.

But oh, if it _does..._

And how even more impatient it gets her knowing these conditions now. Not wanting to find out what would happen if she'd accidentally break them given the seriousness furrowing Alex's gorgeous features and darkening those green pools. Or maybe, a secret, hidden, kinkier part of her _would_ like to know...

"Is that clear?"

In front of that question, one that leaves no room for arguments (even though it still searches for hints of reluctance and hesitation) tentatively, Piper's gaze returns on the shaft that Alex has chosen, eyeing its thickness, and the length, although reasonable, maybe a bit more than average size, is what makes her bite uncertainly on her bottom lip and squirm some more on the spot.

Such feeling, however, is far too flimsy, it doesn't stick, and it simply doesn't stand a chance against the desire that keeps dripping, literally, out of her throbbing core.

When she glances up at Alex again, she finds patience mingled with a bit of expectation but most of all, that same profound reassurance. And in front of its sincerity, there is no other answer that Piper can provide that isn't a firm, "Yes, Mistress."

A pleased smile curls instantly those full, rosy lips, and just like that, even simply seeing that softly hinted, familiar smirk, is enough to finally soothe the turmoil of contrasting emotions that have been fluttering relentlessly in her stomach.

"Good." Alex nods, approaching the bed and proceeding to untie her before offering her hand, helping her up onto her knees oh so gallantly. "Now, come over here," She instructs while taking a seat right on the edge of the bed. "And hop on."

Piper can feel her legs shake even if she just has to scoot closer to where Alex has decided to settle and straddle her waist, bracing herself onto those broad shoulders of hers for support with her encouragement having nowhere else where she could hold onto, and it's not until she is properly settled that she realizes exactly how close the position has brought them, and when she does, she is not one bit prepared for the powerful shiver that races up her spine when a whiff of Alex's scent, that same blend of an equally sweet and tart fragrance, so perfectly balanced, so unique in its essence, fills her lungs, but luckily, Alex seems to take that shiver as another sign of anticipation of eagerness, which, if Piper has to be honest, could also be two of the main reasons behind that delightful buzz that has just zipped through her body.

"I'm going to keep _this_ nearby," Alex tells her, directing her gaze to the rope that has been wrapped around her wrists just a few moments ago, now resting limply on the sheets just beside them, curled up on itself. "Just in case," Alex adds, and that secretive allusion accompanied by a mischievous little wink, if possible, manage to get Piper even more enthusiastic. Something that definitely doesn't pass unnoticed.

"Now, I know how much of an eager little thing you are," Alex tells her, knowingly, eliciting the softest tinge of pink on her cheeks. "But I don't want you to hurt yourself because of impatience." She says in earnest. "So take your time. But... not _too much_ of it."

It's an advice. Although one that is delivered with a tone that sounds someplace in between playfulness and seriousness; the kind that Piper doesn't want to test and find out which one of those two predominates, even though she might have an idea about it when Alex concludes with a warning, "Or else I might change my mind and just... flip you onto your back again and take over from there."

The bluntness of that statement, and the delightful image that her mind instantly visualizes, makes Piper's breath hitch in her chest and her core clench tightly on itself.

But even if the scenario that Alex has just painted for her in that warning is one she would definitely enjoy playing out, she could never turn down this advantaged position that has been granted to her with no small amount of trust and thoughtfulness.

Spurred into action by those words, holding what could be both a promise but also an equally delightful threat, Piper adjusts on top of Alex until she finds the most comfortable position. It doesn't take her more than a few seconds, because the firm, unyielding frame of her Mistress provides her with all the support she needs, and once she is properly settled, she doesn't waste any more time. Reaching down between their bodies with a slightly shaky hand that regains its firmness in the moment she wraps it tightly around the shaft of the toy.

It's slick.

Coated by that layer of lube provided by the condom covering it.

Her fist closes around it and she squeezes, maybe out of an... uh, let's call it an _old habit_ to test the feedback - finding it hard in her grasp, but not excessively so.

It's clearly not made of cheap hard plastic. It feels more flexible, like some kind of rubber, maybe silicon considering the way it bends under some pressure of her palm, and for how little, even just feeling it in her hand, touching it, testing it, feeling its girth by herself, helps as a further reassurance, reinforcing Alex's previous words of comfort about it looking larger than how it's going to feel once inside her, and with that soothing the rest of her concerns regarding the fact that it's been a while since last time, she grasps it firmly and positions it at her entrance.

She is ready enough.

 _Embarrassingly wet_ would be the most accurate description actually, which is only more helpful.

Or at least it _should be._ But even with all of that slickness pouring out of her and coating her folds (and now even the inside of her thighs) she seems to have forgotten that in such position she is logically a bit tighter.

A whine of frustration for not being able to take it at the first try (nor at the second one) rises from her chest, and by the third unsuccessful attempt to sink onto the shaft, in the moment that soft sound slips past her lips, a hand, soft yet firm, comforting, finds its way on the small of her back.

Embarrassment blossoming on her face or not, her gaze is drawn up to meet Alex's, only to have her breath hitch in her throat once more in front of the unexpected look of patience that she finds, so deeply reassuringly, on the raven-haired woman's face.

"Relax," Alex tells her. "And breathe."

A mere advice. Not a command. That deep, slightly husky voice, as well as those gently firm hands and that piercing green gaze, are soothingly, unexpectedly soft. It takes Piper by surprise, especially considering how her Mistress' whole demeanor was set on that unbendable dominance that she wears so impeccably between these walls. But surprise aside, under the persuasive warmth of that touch and the comforting patience reflected into those emerald lakes, Piper's tensed-up muscles can't do anything else but obey, and it's only when she releases a long exhale through her nose and finally deflates that she realizes how much tension had seized her shoulders and back, consequentially stiffening up her entire posture, but her spine melts quite easily, much to Alex's approval.

"There you go."

It's not a praise, merely a confirmation that she is doing good, but the sound of that deep voice turning lower once more and nearing that sultry, pleased purr, combined with the feeling of those hands on her waist and the general closeness of their bodies, the warmth that it brings - which Piper is becoming increasingly more aware of with each passing second - is enough to elicit another string of long shivers that make every nerve ending tingle with that same sense of anticipation fluttering so exquisitely in her stomach.

Feeling more confident and much more relaxed, with Alex's aid she re-aligns the tip of the toy with herself, and this time, as lowers her hips, prevented from sinking in too fast thanks to the steadying hand resting on her hip, she immediately feels the ring of muscles at her entrance starting to give away.

The blunt head is quite thick though, and even if - thankfully - a great deal of her previous resistance is gone, that wider part still catches a bit at her opening.

Getting the tip inside her is what proves to be most difficult, but with some adjusting in her position, and with Alex's aid in keeping her eagerness and frustration in check, preventing it from becoming potentially dangerous with that same ill-advising impatience, eventually, she manages.

The gasp that slips past her lips is more one of surprise than pain when the thickest part of the flared head pops inside of her, but even that initial sting is soon enough erased as the rest of the shaft follows suit, much more easily with the help of the mixture of lubricant and arousal. Slipping inside of her with an ease that she had not expected and certainly hadn't hoped for. Just like she hadn't expected the sharp shock of relief that mingles with the first buzz of pleasure when she sinks all the way down to the base.

It leaves her trembling.

And the pressure feels already wonderful on its own.

But what's even better, is having such a strong frame supporting her body, keeping her up when all the sensations that collide together upon feeling suddenly so delightfully full, threatens to overwhelm her senses, making her sag a bit forward in order to regain her breathing, in an attempt to get a hold of herself.

But slumping right against that space where Alex's neck meets her shoulder, only manages to add a new sensation to those already running rampant through her system when, in the moment she inhales, desperate for a sip of air to soothe her suddenly burning lungs, she catches another whiff of that light, yet deeply intoxicating scent of blackberries and orange blossoms.

"See?" Alex gloats. "It wasn't so hard, was it?" Those gently firm hands settle both on her waist then, thumbs stroking soothingly that tender spot just above the jut of her hip bones.

"You took all of it so easily. Such a good girl." Piper whines and shivers some more upon hearing that praise.

"Now, however," Alex tells her, reminding her of their established conditions. "I'm expecting you to offer me a nice show as soon as you'll be ready to move."

Apparently, today, or at least for the moment, until Alex will decide what to do with her for the rest of the session (which, Piper instantly realizes, might depend _entirely_ on the outcome of her... performance) _she_ is the one who is going to do some... _entertaining._

"But remember," Alex's voice rings out from that... thrilling thought, warning her once more. "You aren't allowed to come until _I_ decide that you can. So keep that in mind, sweet thing. You might want to choose your rhythm _wisely._ "

That note of skepticism that seeps into her deep voice has reason to be there when such advice is given.

Because Piper has indeed proven to be... quite incapable when it comes to holding back, or (as Alex told her) she just needs _"a bit more of training."_ And this... This one right here is the perfect chance to show her Mistress that she can do better.

Still, that doesn't mean that she _wants_ to choose a rhythm and maintain it, but apparently, she _has to_ if she doesn't want to risk swaying from those guidelines that Alex has drawn for her. And so, with no other choice but to follow those directions, when she starts to move, she settles for a carefully slow pace. Both to get herself accustomed to a kind of stretch that she hasn't experienced in a while, and to find the angle that works the most, one that, adjusted ever so slight by Alex's expertise, manages to get the shaft inside her to rub along as many sensitive spots as possible.

She quivers as the fullness stretching her after so long finally manages to soothe that need for _more_ that she has felt swell deep down in her belly earlier.

Even the slight discomfort brought by the deeper penetration, and that characteristical sting as her opening adjusts to the girth at the base, melt away soon enough, rendering her able to take the entire length more easily, and that is no small relief, knowing that the shaft isn't so long to nudge uncomfortably or too deeply inside of her. But she should have known that Alex, in all her consideration, would have of course chosen a size fit for her, even if the kind of pleasure that it brings is... considerably different from the one that Piper has experienced with the raven-haired woman's nimble fingers.

There is much less precision. But all that pressure and tightness inside of her as her walls ripple around that welcomed intrusion, makes up for the lack of accuracy in other ways, even though, of course, it's not just as satisfying, it's still quite enjoyable nonetheless, growing even more so by the second.

Gradually, she gains more and more confidence, fueled by the way that piercing green gaze rakes up and down her body, taking in every movement, from the very first roll of her hips, to admiring the way her abdominal muscles flex as she picks up a steadier, less experimental rhythm.

And Piper should maybe feel a bit awkward, embarrassed, or at least flustered under that scrutinizing gaze.

But, even if there might be a flush of pink on her cheeks, surprisingly, self-consciousness doesn't itch from that usual place behind her sternum like she thought it would in front of such a _close_ , attentive examination.

Being observed like Alex is doing, with full, unabashed, raw appreciation, is actually... oddly empowering.

It gives a boost to her confidence and inflames that familiar coil that is starting to curl tighter on itself and grow hotter with the desire coursing through her veins, gaining speed with each pump of her quickening heartbeat.

With her inner walls having adjusted and modeled perfectly around the shaft buried inside her it's easy, kind of encouraging even, establish a more vigorous pace.

She goes for full, deep thrusts, using the muscles of her thighs to lift herself up from Alex's lap, and her leverage on those broad shoulders to keep her balance. She lifts herself up, until almost the entire length is out of her at the sole exception of the fat tip nudging against her front wall, and then drops back down, more gently, smoothly, and (much to her delight) the chosen rhythm seems to be one that even Alex enjoys, enough to voice her approval.

"You are doing so good." Her inner muscles squeeze tightly around the shaft of the toy upon hearing that praise, fluttering even harder when Alex reveals to her that "I want to make things a bit more challenging for you, though."

With the haze of lust quickly closing around her thoughts and general coherency, she doesn't immediately understand what Alex means by that until she feels those hands, those soft, warm, impossibly skilled hands travel up from her hips, caressing the curves of her waist, climbing the ladder of her ribcage, almost making her squirm as the feather-light touch tickles on a few particularly sensitive spots along the way, before they finally come to rest on her chest. Cradling in her palms both of her small, extremely responsive breasts.

The touch alone, so unexpectedly soft and warm and _promising_ makes Piper's breath stutter in her chest. She gasps, softly. A sound that tumbles from her lips like a moan, and one that of course Alex hears it, given the way she smirks up at her in satisfaction.

"Oh yes," She nods. "I've noticed how _exquisitely_ sensitive you are here." She confesses and this time Piper is anything but surprised by those impressive observation skills. "And it would be such a waste to not explore further how you would respond to some of my attentions now that I have the perfect chance to test you."

Piper knows that Alex's main goal in this is to lean her.

To _keep learning_ her. Because everything that Alex does to her between these walls, whatever scenario she puts her through, is for her own benefit and this... this is _just_ her third session after all, even though Piper feels like the raven-haired woman has learned more about her during these few appointments than any of her previous boyfriend has in _months,_ achieving some... tasks she still doesn't believe possible and might even blush upon remembering them- upon remembering _one_ in particular. Which it has been as glorious and draining (literally) as it has been deeply embarrassing, at least at first, before Alex could reassure her doubts with such delight gleaming in her eyes.

The hands cupping her breasts begin to squeeze, test her response more purposefully than how it has been done in the previous two occasions, and with the pinching and rolling of those fingers on her hardened sensitive nipples it doesn't take long for that additional, wonderful stimulation to get a bit maddening. But what truly threatens to push Piper off the delicate balance she is just adjusting to, is _the heat_ of that mouth.

The compelling warmth and moisture that latches onto her, enveloping her completely and making her skin _burn_ when Alex cups the underside of one of her small breasts and ducks her head to suck her between her lips.

The gesture, the _hunger_ in it, the hot stimulation it brings, the contrast with the other touch of those fingers pinching and rolling her other nipple, the dizzying pleasure that zips through her system so delightfully, it all collides with the one unfurling in her lower belly, tearing a scream from her lungs, and in response to it, in response to the way that shout echoes all around, all she can feel is the way those lips sealed around her nipple tug into one of those infuriating, smug, immensely pleased smirks that Piper knows, if she would be able to see it, it would also be just as utterly beautiful as the others she has seen shape those rosy, impossibly soft, very kissable lips.

The urge to reach out and slip a hand through that thick, soft dark mane and cradle the back of Alex's head as an encouragement to keep going, to suck harder, is strong to fight. Her fingers _twitch_ just thinking about it, but Piper manages to hold back. Barely. Clinging harder onto those broad shoulders instead as Alex lets her other hand slide lower, resuming its previous position on the small of her back, and _she_ doesn't desist from urging her closer, encouraging her to take that extra, stubborn inch of the shaft left at the base deeper inside her. It's not a request that Piper can deny, especially not when the movement makes the head of the toy nudge against a particularly sensitive spot along her front wall, sending another sharp shock of pleasure through her entire body.

Slowly, carefully, as soon as she recovers from it, she rolls her hips forward and searches for that same angle once more.

She isn't quite able to find it on her own. But with Alex's aid coming _just_ at the most perfect moment, angulating the roll of her hips in _that_ way...

 _"Oh God..."_

The moan falls from her lips breathlessly as her blunt fingernails dig onto Alex's shoulder blades, her back arching, taking the shaft deeper inside while her chest pushes forward, shamelessly offering more of herself to that wickedly talented mouth as her hips, guided by an instinct of their own, growing more primal with each passing second, keep rolling on Alex's lap, riding the thickness stretching her so delightfully.

She has adjusted to that girth pretty easily and fast enough, Alex was confident about this with reason, but all that fullness, for how wonderful, still stings a little with each thrust, even though that light discomfort, for how controversial it may seem, renders the pleasure all the more authentic. She _revels_ at the combination of all those different sensations, contrasting, and yet completing each other in the most perfect ways.

The tingling ache inside of her combined with the gentler one of Alex's teeth nibbling and dragging carefully along the hard little bud of her nipple, the fullness filling her to the hilt and the feeling of her swollen throbbing clit dragging along the leather harness every time she drops her weight down, soon start to cloud everything else. Anything that isn't that delightful pressure that keeps building and getting tighter inside of her, or the compelling warmth of Alex's mouth enveloping her.

Losing focus becomes inevitable, and along with it, awareness starts slipping from her grasp as well, blurring away.

Enslaved by that instinct, which, right now, makes even the act of breathing seem less vital compared to the need swelling hotter in her lower belly and growing greedier, demanding her body to picking up a faster rhythm, and with it, go right against Alex's directions.

But even those warnings that have been so clear earlier have now faded. Helplessly fallen in the background, turned into nothing but a mere distant whisper against that coil resting deep within her, curling tighter and tighter around itself, getting ready to burst, slowly but inevitably.

Her moans get louder, her legs shakier, but not even the exertion burning in her thighs is enough to make her slow down. Not even the nagging thought, the _knowledge_ that she might be doing something _not allowed_ , now too distant and blurred compared to the blinding brightness providing her the guidance she needs to reach that peak that she is already quickly approaching.

The first sign that should bring some suspicion about her actions, comes when she first feels Alex pull away from her breast, releasing her nipple, making her shiver as the exquisite heat of that mouth, the wonderful rolling of that skilled tongue around her nipple and the teasing nibbles of sharp teeth, get instantly replaced by a cool breeze.

"You might want to slow down a bit now." Her Mistress advises her, no doubt (considering her extremely perceptive abilities) sensing her fast approach in the little stutter of her hips as well as in the hitch in her breath, which comes out shaky and ragged. All the previous sighs and whimpers turned into louder moans of utter abandon.

The reminder of the conditions that have been set earlier emerge all of a sudden from her preconscious upon hearing the note of warning in that tone.

Startled with alarm her eyes flutter open, wide and dark with the pleasure consuming her slowly from the inside, finding Alex's clear emerald ones and even though she instantly notices the same caution of before reinforced by a particularly pointed, sharper, knowing gaze, she is just...

"I'm... not sure I _can._ " Piper has absolutely _no idea,_ considering the turmoil raging inside her, how she manages to make such confession, how she succeeds in uttering those words in a comprehensible way, but they fall from her lips with all of her painful honesty veiled with an apology.

Because that need throbbing between her legs and coursing white-hot through her veins needs to be quenched. And with her current position granting her all the advantage she needs to take off that edge with _just_ a couple of more thrusts... She falters.

It's hard.

Too hard to fight back against an instinct so vicious.

Close to impossible even.

It would be like foolishly demanding to have control over on her own heartbeat.

And Alex senses her faltering, as much as she senses how easily she is to surrender to that inevitable fall.

" _Don't._ " She warns. _Growls._ Low and deep and _dangerous._ Eyes as sharp and dark as that threatening tone. And maybe it's just that, _the promise_ that Piper can hear in that voice, in that guttural grunt. The _knowledge_ that she will most likely _pay_ for disobeying. Or maybe it is that harsh, colder, reprimanding gaze, or the way the shaft inside of her nudges just _so_ perfectly against that swollen point of her front wall, but... she can no longer hold back.

If there was even a chance, for how minimal and remote, for her to take a step back and resist, recover and relent by pulling at the reins of her galloping pleasure, now it's far too late.

She has reached that point where she doesn't care.

Nothing, in the long instant preceding her fall into that far-too-tempting oblivion of bliss, seems more important than to just let go.

And she sure doesn't care about the consequences right now even though, deep down, at a more subconscious level, she might even revel at the prospect, at the well-deserved punishment her disobedience is most likely going to cost her.

Reluctantly, she meets Alex's gaze again.

"I'm sorry."

She sobs, and she truly, deeply is. Enough that her throat tightens up with the same tears that are starting to blur her vision, but she is too far gone, too overwhelmed, too _tempted_ to take that last step and trip over that edge. And even if she had the willpower to, there is nothing she can do to prevent her body from responding the way it does, prevent her core from rippling and spasming repeatedly around the thickness stretching her the next time she drops onto Alex's lap, taking the shaft as deep inside of her as it will go, throwing her head back and letting her eyes flutter shut as the first devastating wave of pleasure crashes into her, but also because she doesn't want to see the disappointment darkening Alex's features.

She comes, helplessly.

And it's long and hard and... absolutely _glorious._

She remains blissfully breathless for its whole duration.

And even though it's still somehow foreign (besides exceptionally, oddly rewarding) this time she is not so taken aback when she feels that coil inside of her shatter and burst free with a series of powerful jets of warmth that gush out of her and splash against Alex's stomach.

She rides her orgasm greedily. Until her body has the strength to. Until the shaft resting so deep within her slips out of her twitching fluttering core, leaving her cold and spasming frustratingly around _nothing,_ drained from _everything_ until all that is left with - as she slowly regains consciousness in between shallow gasps of air - is the frightful realization of what she has just done...

 **. . .**

As Alex watches the young woman on top of her plummet over the edge, there are two main contrasting feelings battling within her.

The first one is the harsh gnaw of disapproval for having the rules that she has laid down with such clarity being ignored so disrespectfully.

But the other...

The other, which may or may not flare a bit brighter despite that spikiness of indignation... is pure _delight._

Because even though she hasn't granted Piper her permission to come, the sight unfolding before her is not one she can look away from. Just like she cannot ignore the hot spurts of what seems to be a very powerful release splashing against her lower belly and dripping between her thighs as the young woman on top of her rides through her orgasm with harsh grinds of her hips, greedily taking every inch of the shaft, desperately, to make her pleasure last for as long as possible until it slips out of her with a new gush of warmth.

And Alex lets her. _She might as well enjoy it now,_ she thinks. _And make it so much worth it,_ considering the punishment that is most definitely going to come.

Still, disappointment or not, when Piper's body starts quivering with exertion and that sense of draining that comes only after an exceptionally intense orgasm, making her slump a bit forward, Alex's can't not offer some support, wrapping her arms around the blonde's slender, shaking frame to keep her from falling off her lap altogether.

Awareness returns to her in due time - in between harsh gasp of air and violent shivers of aftershock that travel through every nerve ending of her body - but once it does, dread is the first thing that Alex sees widening in those clear blue eyes when Piper tears herself away from that spot between her shoulder and neck and blinks onto focus.

And now, the young woman looks positively _terrified_ by the knowledge of her active disobedience and whatever consequences she might have to face.

"Mistress, I _-I_..." She stutters, clearly searching for words of apology that she must already know aren't going to be enough, no matter the effort she might put behind, even if she had regained all of her outstanding, attractive eloquence along with her breathing Alex still doubts that she would be able to come up with an acceptable excuse that wouldn't just be based on pure greediness.

"You were doing so good," Alex tells her, slowly shaking her head. "I was enjoying the show you were putting up for me." She even admits earnestly. "And had you waited a minute longer I would have given you my permission." She reveals, much to the young woman's utter mortification, who makes herself appear even smaller as she folds a little onto herself with consuming shame.

"But instead you decided that you didn't need that after all, did you?" She asks, rhetorically. "Apparently you thought that disappointing me like this, so shamelessly, was far better."

The furious blush tinging Piper's cheeks is a combination of embarrassment mingled with the exertion that has heated up her entire, still slightly quivering body.

"I'm _so_ sorry." She offers remorsefully.

But Alex merely blinks in response to that. Left completely unimpressed by such a feeble, scarce apology. So deeply incongruous with everything that has just happened in the past couple of minutes. Which only makes those four little words sound all the more weak in their insincerity.

"Oh no, you aren't." Alex contradicts. "You are not sorry _at all._ " She states, surely, matter-of-factly, _knowingly,_ watching the way Piper squirms, bottom lip caught helplessly between her teeth, head tilted down in guilt and submission, unable to deny the blunt accusation thrown at her.

"You asked me for _more_ ," Alex summarizes. "And I provided it to you. Along with one very specific instruction and warning." She scolds. "But you have just decided to ignore all of that. _Abusing_ of the position of advantage that I have granted to you with trust, and you in return came _all over me,_ got the orgasm you so desperately wanted, took _pleasure_ in _disobeying me_ -"

This, however, much to Alex's surprise, earns her a response laced with no small amount of indignation.

"I-I _didn't!_ " The young, talented, successful businesswoman with a brilliant mind, owner of a rising company _sputters_ in protest. And Alex isn't going to lie, she might find the display quite amusing, as it usually is watching how the strong, confident demeanor that she knows the blonde possesses changes in her presence. Slipping from her figure just like the expensive clothes that she sheds before each session.

Right now, however, Alex isn't so entertained by that aspect as she would be in another circumstance, and the sharp look that she flashes, successfully prevents her young, still inexpert client (who might get a secret kick out of breaking rules it seems) from saying anything else, promptly halting her need to utter another insufficient apology.

Piper's mouth snaps shut instantly, and she swallows, audibly, blushing - if possible - into an even brighter shade of pink.

"You just enjoy, _so much,_ getting all you want whenever you want, don't you?" Alex asks her, letting her voice drop that note lower, grow darker, adding that hint of danger in her tone that is in complete contrast with her touch; with the hand that she lets skid up Piper's naked chest, tracing the jut of her collarbone before caressing that elegant neck. "Well, guess what princess," She continues, definitely not missing, and absolutely reveling in the way Piper's breath hitches, in seeing those pools of blue overflow and feel the shivers travel through her body with a guilty delight under such a simple gesture of incongruous (nonetheless sincere) gentleness. Even harder when she adjusts a lock of that golden hair behind her ear. "In case you have forgotten, whatever authority you have at your company, whatever power you hold in your CEO position... between these walls, it means _nothing._ " She reminds her. "In here, _I_ am the one who decides when and how to make you come."

She knows that her words, whispered, _growled_ with the same authority held in her unyielding gaze (and yet in complete contrast with her inconsistently tender touch) have a significant impact on the young blonde given the way she starts _trembling_ on top of her, suppressing a whined moan in the back of her throat.

"But, evidently, I haven't made that clear enough." Alex reasons. _And I'm going to need to remedy that,_ she also thinks to herself, unable not to wonder if maybe she hasn't pushed indeed too hard the young woman, especially knowing how unexpert she still is... With just some notion of very basic training.

She can't help but wonder if she hasn't, perhaps, been... _indulging herself_ in this. But dismisses the thought as fast as it presents.

Because there is no reason why she would feel the need to do such a thing.

Nothing of this is about her.

She may have been out of the game for some time, but she knows _her role_ in this room, and she knows how to play it to meet and satisfy her client's needs. The fact that said client may be turning out to be quite... interesting and intriguing with potential, and that she herself might be enjoying the sessions with a particular thrill, is a secondary and totally inconsequential detail, no doubt due to her long absence between these walls as _an active_ part.

She doesn't dwell on the thought further, just watching as Piper swallows again, red with shame and a contrasting excitement that is almost visible in her thrumming body, one that the blonde probably is not sure she should be feeling but is unable to suppress, which clearly only embarrasses her more, even though that mix of adrenaline that tingles each nerve ending and overflows her system (no doubt adding to the one that is still coursing through her veins from her previous explosive orgasm) making her so delightfully lightheaded.

She is _that_ transparent.

"You did, Mistress." Her young client answers eventually, _respectfully_ , putting quite some effort in keeping her voice from shaking, which is no small feat given her current conditions, and Alex even appreciates such effort.

But even that response, so simple, yet oh so very submissive, is hardly enough right now for her. Too little, too late.

"I just-"

Alex doesn't let her continue though, shaking her head and clicking her tongue.

"Nuh uh, I don't think so." It would be far too easy that way. Let _her_ come out with her explanation, with one of _her_ excuses.

Alex has no interest in hearing them. She just wants... "I want to hear you say _it._ "

She wants to hear Piper utter _those_ words out loud, because... "Maybe that way you'll remember it more easily and think twice next time you are about to come without getting my permission first."

The blush flaring on those already flushed cheeks grows a bit brighter, but there is no reluctance or struggle into that clear blue gaze when Piper, eventually, after swallowing down her nerves, provides her answer.

"I... I'm not in charge here." She recognizes sounding so uncharacteristically _strong_ in her submission. As if she is finally accepting and embracing that role that has been hidden under her expensive attires and professional demeanor. " _You are,_ Mistress."

Alex couldn't be more pleased, not only to hear the young woman acknowledge their roles out loud so clearly, so explicitly, but mostly to see the lack of struggle, of awkwardness as she does so. With her back standing a bit straighter, her chin held slightly higher.

She might even notice a certain... relief once that ultimate truth is uttered.

"That's right." Alex approves, rewarding such obedience - the kind that she expected earlier - by letting her hands roam up those impossibly long, delightfully toned legs still tightened around her waist, traveling further up and tickling gently along Piper's sides, until she feels the young woman relax even further under the lightness of the touch.

"Tell you what." She says then after taking a moment to consider a few things, having settled for what should be an... adequate punishment of sorts.

"I'm inclined to give you another chance and hand you some more trust despite this recent event."

Even just saying that is enough to make Piper perk up again. Blue eyes grow wide and hopeful in front of the chance to make amend. And, once again, it might take some effort for Alex to not smile in front of such expression.

"But since you have come all over me without my permission, I'm going to need... a token of apology first." She demands before glancing down between their bodies, still pressed so close to each other's, drawing Piper's gaze to the wetness shimmering on both their thighs, slick and still hot on her abdomen, and glistening just as much on the shaft of the toy leaned against her lower belly.

"Let's say... you could - at the very least - clean up _the mess_ you have made of me for example."

Piper's head snaps up, eyes wide, back stiffening, blush returning to warm those rosy cheeks with a blazing fury.

"Y-you want me to clean up _the_...?" She stammers, gulping as her gaze drifts to the shimmering shaft of the bright colored dildo, now completely covered in a mixture of lubricant and her own arousal.

For Alex it's hard keeping her lips from twitching into the smile that is right there, ready to spread into a full grin across her entire face in front of that look, in front of that mixture of eagerness and nervousness masked as hesitance and doubt, but she somehow manages to keep her composure and, most of all, the authority that she needs in this very delicate moment.

"What I want," She explains, reaching out with one hand to gently trace the outline of Piper's jaw with her fingertips, delicately urging her to release her bottom lip from where she has taken it hostage between her teeth. "Is that since you seem _so_ willing to get this smart mouth of yours to work, you might as well do it properly and _show_ me that you are sorry instead of just telling me so."

The doubt clears from those wide, deep blue eyes in a heartbeat, and she feels the shiver that races through the young woman's spine as if it were her own, while a soft, stuttered gasp slips from those thin, slightly parted lips upon hearing the confirmation of what she had already, most definitely, rightfully suspected she truly meant.

That gaze gets drawn downwards again, locking on the thick shaft of the toy resting between their bodies, slick and hot with Piper's release against her lower abdomen.

Still, not knowing if the hesitance that she sees swimming among all of that blue sparkling with an unexpected excitement may run deeper than she is able to see above the surface when Piper's gaze meets her once again, Alex, now more than ever, feels the need to add something extremely important to her previous suggestion.

Something that she is not willing to skip past. Especially not with someone that is just finding her footing in this world that must look so bright and overwhelming in its newness, especially to someone who (like the young businesswoman in her lap) seems to be pretty excitable.

And so, using the hand that is still tenderly cradling Piper's jaw, she turns the young woman's face ever so slightly, making sure that that sparkling blue gaze filled with a few contrasting emotions is locked right with hers.

"Unless, of course... there is one particular word you want to tell me."

 **. . .**

Piper doesn't need to think too hard to understand what her Mistress could possibly be referring to.

It may be veiled, and her head might be still swimming a little, rendering that phrase a bit more puzzling at first, but then she instantly knows that she means by _that._

She is talking about her safeword.

The one they have very recently agreed on.

Alex looks at her somehow expectantly, but also patiently, and Piper can see it, in those rippling emerald lakes. The reassurance, but most of all, the hint of hesitation. The same one that she can almost feel in the hand cupping her cheek so lightly, so carefully, with an impossible gentleness that clashes completely with the harshness and explicitness of the words she has used earlier. Offering that comfort that seeps into her bones and soothes the nerves that have begun twisting once more in her stomach.

Because this is all part of the game.

The request may come from Alex, but all of this is being played _for her_ pleasure, Piper reminds herself, based on _her fantasies_.

And in this case, _a very specific_ fantasy that she hadn't thought would come up so soon actually. Recognizing it for what it is.

 _Mild humiliation._

Alex surely seems to have jumped at the chance with readiness.

The circumstances are close to perfection, and her improvisation skills (just like all of her other talents in her profession have proven to be so far) are remarkable. And yeah, maybe Piper wasn't prepared for it, but the prospect, the spontaneity... It only makes the occasion all the more enjoyable, filling it with that overwhelming sense of anticipation that makes her jittery with a dangerous cocktail of trepidation and excitement that she realizes might be perceived as hesitation, too. Even for someone as attentive as Alex is.

She swallows, trying to gather some moisture in her mouth, and once she feels confident enough that her voice will hold and not crack under that excitedly thrumming nervousness, she answers.

"No, Mistress. I..." She pauses, trying to steady her breathing and get a hold (or at least attempting to) of all those contrasting sensations that she can feel crawling up her chest and jumping at the base of her throat along with her heartbeat. "I want to be forgiven for disobeying you."

And she _truly_ wants that. There was no way for her to prevent that orgasm from claiming her like it did, but she wants to replace the look of deep disappointment that she has seen on Alex's face earlier - a heartbeat before she came. And she even has the first taste of that wish when she sees the delighted smile curling her Mistress' lips upon hearing her reply.

"Mh, that's nice to hear," That deep, sweetly husky voice turns into that low purr that makes Piper's spine tingle, but there is also something else under it.

Something more visible in her expression.

She doesn't pretend to be as observant and perceptive as the raven-haired woman is, but... she still _sees it,_ that flash of relief smoothing out the crinkle between those perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

It's gone as fast as it shows though, because in the blink of an eye, Alex regains that bit of composure and slips completely back into that role that fits her so flawlessly and plays just as perfectly. "But as I said, I'd prefer if you just showed me instead." She reminds her. "Your word alone has proven to not be so valuable on its own today."

Guilt mingles with a substantial dose of embarrassment at the reminder, but she has every intention to make up for her misbehavior.

And so, without wasting another second, she dismounts Alex's lap, unable to not pretend that the lack of warmth doesn't affect her, struggling for a few moments to find her balance considering how weak her muscles suddenly feel, before getting on her knees in front of the bed, right before her Mistress' parted legs, bringing her face to face with the thick shaft of the toy that has been buried inside her, now glistening with the result of the pleasure that she has taken from it.

"That's a good girl." Alex praises her again, and it's impossible for Piper not to shiver in hearing that low purr of approval that comes accompanied with the feeling of those long, skilled fingers slipping through her hair just as she ducks her head, fist wrapping around the base of the shaft, so warm and slick in her grasp, but when she starts _"cleaning up the mess she's made"_ she does so from Alex's thigh.

She tastes herself on that perfect creamy skin. _Reveling_ in the way she manages to catch the raven-haired woman by surprise, and absolutely _delighted_ in just hearing the soft groan that rumbles in her chest; slightly raspy, but slipping oh so very sweetly from those rosy lips of hers.

A reaction simple enough but that spurs her on with such a powerful boost to her confidence that inflates her chest and makes her inch closer towards the apex of those toned thighs in between gentle laps, until she reaches her destination, running the flat of her tongue on the underside of the shaft from the base to the tip, daring herself to glance up at Alex and lock her gaze with those stunning emeralds before taking the blunt head fully into her mouth.

"Well... It seems like the only way to put you in your place is to literally bring you on your knees, isn't it?" Alex quips humorously, although... she sincerely seems to enjoy seeing her in such a submissive position. An assumption that gets blatantly confirmed to her out loud. "And I have to say, I like seeing you like this."

That... _compliment?_... however, is the sweet treat that precedes another sting of deep embarrassment.

"Not to mention that you seem to be quite familiar with this," Alex observes, appearing to be quite pleased and somehow even impressed with the display she is offering. "Is it because it's something you do often?" She inquires, taunting her into that level of soft humiliation that is already starting to have a certain effect on her. Stirring a few contrasting emotions within her. "Is it one of the methods of persuasion you use with your most reluctant investors before closing a deal?"

And even if Piper, in the little time she's had to prepare, may have considered the possibility to hear such accusations into the work-related subjects, her stomach still flips and her heart thuds hard against her ribcage as warmth flares up her neck and on her cheeks, reaching the tip of her ears.

But despite that heat, despite that burn of profound embarrassment, there is this other contrasting, much stronger feeling that is starting to swell in her chest, eating that discomfort away and making her bravely glance up at Alex over her eyelashes before dipping her head further down, taking an extra inch of the shaft in her mouth.

"God, look at you..." She hears Alex sigh above her. "I must admit that I'm pretty content with all of my lady parts as they are, but... it's such _a shame_ that I'm not able to actually _feel_ you."

Another shiver travels down Piper's spine when she feels the hand on the back of her neck tightening just a little bit, inviting (more than urging her) to get a bit deeper. "You must have a velvety throat." But it's actually hearing that last comment what makes Piper dip her head further down, opening her mouth wider, letting her tongue slide on the underside of the shaft and relaxing her throat when it gets a bit deeper. And Alex might not be able to feel her of course, but she offers as much of a thorough performance as if she were _a_ _ble to_. Swirling her tongue around the blunt head, sucking it before dipping her head down again and taking as much of that thick shaft as her gag reflex allows her to. _Enjoying_ this like she's never done before.

She cleans up the toy with devotion, diligently, blushing in between whatever little stinging phrase that Alex presents her with, keeping those little humiliation attempts into a mild embarrassment. Testing the waters and dipping just enough under the surface to get the reaction she wants from her without crossing that delicate line that is not yet defined, refraining from wandering into that uncharted territory that Piper now is definitely interested in exploring beyond the delimited confines in another occasion.

When she releases the shaft from her mouth, jaw aching pleasantly, lips slightly swollen, she takes an odd satisfaction in watching the toy shimmer with her saliva once she pulls back, but she also soon realizes that her duty is not yet done.

Because her Mistress told her to clean her up and... There are indeed a few patches of wetness staining the alabaster skin on her lower abs and upper thighs, too. And... _Well_... Piper has never been the kind of person to leave a job _unfinished._

She needs to make up for her misbehavior, and being thorough is the only hope she has to regain some of her Mistress' trust, but she is _not_ so dense to pretend that that one is the only reason that motivates her to lick up her own come from those long, toned, creamy thighs.

"You can be so obedient when you want to," Alex tells her, and it's not exactly a praise, but the tone in her voice sure sounds like approval in seeing her... commitment. Her _dedication._ "In fact, I believe that with a bit more of training you would make such a good _pet._ "

She may be an amateur, had maybe broken a very important rule she didn't know the existence of, but she is _not_ completely oblivious when it comes to this whole world she has entered. And among the few things that she does know about it, there is _that_ term, and she knows what it stands for and all the things that are expected from such role.

"However," Alex continues, gently urging her head up to meet her gaze much to her disapproval for not getting the chance to lick at that last patch of wetness below Alex's navel. "For how nicely you have followed my commands, I'm afraid that I haven't completely forgiven you just yet."

Upon hearing that, Piper can't help but deflate a little, shoulders sagging with a pang of disappointment that she can't hide, especially not from her features.

"Oh don't look so sad," Alex coos, smiling reassuringly down at her and stroking her cheek with her thumb, once more showing a tenderness that Piper did not expect to find in these circumstances, even though she can't help but take no small amount of comfort in it.

"There are other ways to get my forgiveness. Provided of course you still want it." Another barely veiled search for consent that shows once again all of that thoughtfulness that Piper is starting to suspect is at the very foundation of Alex's being and not just with her approach in this room about anything that is even just relatively new for her. A consideration and understanding that makes Piper all the more enthusiastic about accepting whatever she is offering.

This time, she merely has to nod. There is no need of being any more explicit than that, but she still utters a simple yet concise, "I do, Mistress." Just so she can see that trademark smirk shape those rosy lips, and catch the delighted little twinkle that starts shimmering into those stunning aquamarine eyes.

"Then come up here," Alex instructs her, patting the empty space of the bed beside her as she gets up. "I want you on your hands and knees for this."

And it is only when Piper gets into position and feels Alex moving behind her, one hand coming down on her ass cheek, with a suggestive _pat_ ; light but with a certain purpose in the gesture that makes her gasp as realization about what her Mistress' intention _is_ and what kind of _treatment_ has been reserved for her, sinks in.

"That's right," Alex tells her, knowingly, leaning forward, sending sparks of electricity down her naked back upon feeling that oh so sweetly hot breath brush against her shoulder blade as a hand reaches out to move aside her hair from her neck.

"Now be a good girl and count up to ten. _Out loud,_ " She stresses, "And who knows... I might even decide to fill you up again and fuck you like I know you still crave it, _if_ you behave."

Second chances don't come so soon. And Piper has _every_ intention to make the best out of this one, and with that sweet promise hanging like a price before her, she really is left with no other choice.

No matter how close to insanity Alex is most likely going to push her before granting her what she needs, Piper is going to do resist and control her own consuming urges this time.

When the first slap comes, landing with a sharp smack on her butt, hard enough to make her gasp, she immediately starts counting, clearly, out loud, as requested.

But her voice grows shakier with each slap, while the sting on her ass cheek only intensifies.

It tingles. Prickling. Until it turns into this dull kind of pain that feels just so... _exquisitely rewarding._

Almost as much as the praises that Alex, half bent on top of her from behind, with that deep, slightly husky voice, breathes oh so sweetly in her ear, making her stomach erupt in flutters, her heart trip over itself in the confines of her chest, and her core clench on itself, throbbing with a startling vicious renewed desire.

* * *

 **So... I put Piper through quite an intense session this time, didn't I? But yeah... Some kinkiness is starting to emerge, and of course, Alex is enjoying seeing it unfold as much as her eager client is enthusiastic about learning whatever her Mistress has to teach her :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Hi everyone!

So... It seems like many of you have enjoyed the smutfest that has been the previous chapter, haven't you, _sinners?_ :P I'm very glad you have liked it, and I'm not going to lie, it has been quite exhausting writing it but in a very, very good way that felt even better once I saw your enthusiastic reaction to it :D Now, I've noticed some... let's say "commotion" over the fact that the chapter felt maybe a bit "impersonal" for someone. All I have to say about this is that I always try to respect others' POV, and it's always so interesting for me reading all of your comments and thoughts (for which I thank you all for leaving them along with all of your incredibly flattering words). About this matter, however, I just point defensively to the title I have chosen, with a reason, because the whole "Business" is a very big part of this story. So, that being said, I thank you for your kindness, and a special thanks though goes to those who have patience and have understood that right now Piper and Alex are nothing more than a client and a club-owner providing a service. Alex is a professional Dom, after all, and having her fall for Piper/treating her too tenderly at the first session would have been extremely unprofessional and more than a tad unrealistic, too.

But that's just my opinion, which, of course, stands with the direction I have decided to take this story.

I could, however, always decide to wrap up the whole thing in one more chapter, but... it seems like many of you are enjoying and trusting me (thank you so much!) with this painfully slow slow-burn, lol :D

Although... on the other hand... things may be moving in that _other_ direction already. Maybe the burner is getting turned up a bit higher.

Maybe even in this chapter, who knows...

I guess I'll have to leave you guys to find out :P

Enjoy

* * *

"In any other circumstance I would ask if you have spilled something, but I know that you are not a clumsy type."

Alex is caught by surprise when she hears that voice ring onto the room, turning around from the bed with a start and facing the door, where, sure enough, she is met with no others than her business partner leaned casually against the doorframe with that knowing lopsided smile on her face.

"...And I think that I'd recognize that kind of stain on every fabric, and why not... even on every piece of furniture." She brags as the smile on her lips tugs higher at one corner of her mouth, slowly shaping onto that trademark, cocky little smirk of hers.

"Jesus Nicky..." Alex sighs, running a hand through her hair as her racing heart settles back into a more acceptable rhythm after the little jolt of alarm it has done in her chest. "I should get you a bell or something." She grumbles.

It sure seems like her best friend has developed a certain fondness for sneaking up on her lately.

"Oh, wouldn't _you_ like to tie something around _my_ neck now?" Nicky inquires, playfully, before shaking her head. Smile twisting into an apologetic (and totally fake) grimace. "Sorry gorgeous. You've already got your chance with me and wasted it. You are no exception to my rule."

And just like that, annoyance aside for having been caught off guard, in front of that look of feigned hurt showing on her best friend's features, Alex can't help but chuckle, and once that sound of amusement slips past her lips, the grin that has been hiding under that mask of hurt on Nicky's face, finally breaks free, right before that dark chocolate gaze lands once again on the bedsheets and the big wet stain painting them onto a darker shade of red.

"It seems like you have found yourself a squirter, Vause." Her friend observes, equally pleased and impressed. "That should be interesting."

"I didn't _find_ myself _anything._ " Alex replies, hastily finishing to strip off the bed from the used, damp sheets, balling them up, and tossing them on the floor. " _She_ is a client."

The silence that follows is thick and heavy and sudden. Loaded with an implication that Alex can almost _hear_. Deliberately deciding to keep facing the bed and avoid glancing at her friend to catch signs of the expression- of the _knowing,_ slightly raised eyebrow and hinted smirk that she knows she would most definitely find there on her partner's face.

The longer the silence extends though, the more some... odd, and rather confusing thoughts start piling up in her mind, and so, eventually, when she sees that even the mattress cover needs changing given its... dampness, that's when she turns towards her friend once more.

"You plan on staying there just staring at me or do you at least intend to give me a hand over here?" She asks glancing pointedly at the unmade bed. "The door is going to keep standing by itself, if that's what concerns you."

But it's only when Alex sees the enthusiasm with which her business partner pushes herself away from the doorway with an even wider grin spreading all over her face, quite eagerly and dutifully going on the other side of the bed to offer some help, that Alex realizes what she has just done by making such invitation.

She has the confirmation of her mistake soon enough.

"So..." Nicky starts, but Alex isn't fooled one bit by that first, gentle, nonchalance approach. "I'm going to assume that things went good even this time?"

 _Ugh..._

She refrains from groaning but still heaves a sigh. "Nicky-"

"Not prying," Her friend promptly defends before Alex can get a chance to reprimand all of that bubbling curiosity. "Just asking if you are doing okay with these sessions, that's all. I mean, it's been _a while_..."

"Seriously Nicky?" Alex asks her, skeptically. "This is why you have been bothering me after each one of these appointments?" It's not like she isn't aware of how sincerely considerate her business partner is, even if she doesn't give off that vibe with ease, but even though there are many reasons why her best friend might be asking her that, this time around, the "friendly concern" excuse somehow doesn't feel like the one reason that is going stick.

"Do I have to remind you that I used to do this regularly?" Alex asks her. "What could possibly be different now?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Nicky shrugs with that same pretended nonchalance while - at least - helping to strip the mattress from its cover tied to the corners. "A pair of long legs and a flash of fiery red hair comes to mind..."

Alex rolls her eyes, even though some of her humor emerges under the pressure of her friend's inquiring, and she just barely refrains from smirking and commenting that it's probably _not_ the first (or even the second) time today that such redhead has come to her business partner's mind, even though, Alex has to admit that it would be quite entertaining watching the reaction that making such comment would earn her from her best friend.

But for how tempting, instead, since deep down she doesn't want to make Nicky feel uncomfortable (maybe even embarrassed) for being left so exposed, she just repeats what she has already said before in more than one occasion.

"I've already told you... Sylvia and I are good. In fact, she is perfectly fine with me returning to work more... actively, just like I used to do. This whole thing we are doing... me and her, there is no room for jealousy-nonsense-drama." _Which is refreshing,_ Alex thinks to herself, and brings her no small amount of relief.

Hard commitment seems just _so_... well... _Hard._

"That is good to know." Her friend tells her, nodding with honest approval and understanding. "It's just that..." And then she pauses, deliberately not meeting her gaze as she just keeps stripping the rest of the mattress. "This new client you got... _Piper,_ " She corrects. "I couldn't help but notice that she seems... a bit like your _type_ perhaps."

Maybe it's a good thing that Nicky isn't looking at her right now. Because this way Alex is at least granted a second or two to recover from that... that _ambushing feeling_ that has just made her heart stutter to a halt. Sudden enough for her breath to catch in her throat, only to have her heartbeat resume double time an instant later, pounding against her ribcage at the mention of the young blonde businesswoman before that dark chocolate gaze finally lifts from the stripped bed.

And, luckily, at this point, when their eyes meet, Alex thinks that she has recovered enough of her demeanor back and gotten rid of the frown that had knit together her eyebrows for that split second, by shaking her head and collecting her thoughts after hearing such a... curious, almost startling allusion.

"What are you talking about?" She even scoffs at her friend, incredulously. "After all these years I would have thought that you knew I've never been into blondes, Nicky."

But even if she doesn't have to put too much effort to make that clear note of humor seep in her tone, Nicky, as attentive as not many would give her credit to be, isn't deceived by it in the slightest.

Her business partner appraises her with that pointed, serious look that sees right underneath that layer of humor that Alex has just used to cover herself up with as some kind defense mechanism she doesn't even know _what_ or _why_ it has been triggered in the first place.

It leaves her confused and so uncomfortably, uncharacteristically squirmy.

"You know that I'm not talking about hair color or even general physical appearance, Alex," Nicky states, calmly, and the use of her name is actually what makes her tone sound and her expression look all the more serious. "Even though she is quite pretty. Beautiful even." Her friend instantly corrects. "She might come off as a bit shy at first. Enough that you wouldn't say how much of a successful businesswoman or even how confident she is once peeled off that deceiving first layer," There is no surprise that even her friend, gifted with an intuition and observation skills very similar to her own, has also caught those traits in the young blonde with such ease. "She is also smart," Nicky continues. "Probably even more than she gives away in a simple conversation. And to contrast so _splendidly_ with that, she is also... kinda dorky. Ring any bell?"

The question is presented to Alex with a quirked eyebrow that is as annoying as the general knowing look on her partner's face.

Alex has sure noticed all of those traits in the young woman and then some.

She has glimpsed under that surface that Nicky has been talking about and discovered more and-

Her frown deepens as she brings a hand up to her chest, suddenly consumed by this... This odd, foreign urge. As if to scratch off an itch that feels there, right behind her sternum, before shaking her head to dissipate whatever even more confusing thought was forming in her head, letting her hand drop uselessly at her side.

"I don't know what to tell you, Nicky. Or even where you are trying to get with this." She says, discarding the mattress cover on the floor and picking up the clean one along with the new set of bedsheets and pillowcases. "But she is _a client._ " She repeats, firmly, adamantly. "She's signed a contract. It's just _business_."

Luckily, there is no argument there.

"Fair enough." Her friend yields at last, hands raised, seeming willing to finally drop the issue, or at least she gives the _impression_ to as they finish making up the bed in silence. Even though, despite the efforts that Alex has put in being convincing, Nicky still doesn't seem to appear very persuaded by her reassurances, until at last, she voices her concern.

"I'm just making sure you aren't struggling with... you know," She shrugs, running a hand through that unkempt mass that is her reddish-blonde hair. A nervous, awkward gesture that never fails to make Alex's lips twitch into a hinted smile. Which spreads into a full smirk when her partner concludes with such a poorly, totally unimpressive, " _Stuff._ "

"How eloquent, Nichols."

But humor, it turns out, is still not very welcomed yet.

"I'm serious Alex," Her friend reprimands, looking and sounding indeed as serious as Alex hasn't seen her in a while, which succeeds in gaining all of her attention laced with a measure of concern.

"Even the other girls have trouble sometimes keeping the professional from the personal in this business," Nicky points out. "And you know how much that line tends to blur. _Especially_ if you are presented with clients that may or may not be close to your... _virtually ideal_ type."

It takes no small amount of effort for Alex to resist the urge to sigh, but when she speaks, she manages to remain calm and collected. Mostly because she _really_ doesn't want to get into a fight with her best friend because of this... this _nonsense_ concern Nicky has come up with.

"I don't know what to tell you..." Alex repeats, dropping and aligning the pillows, freshly changed into the matching pair of clean pillowcases, against the headboard, smoothing out the few wrinkles on the bedsheets as a final touch. "Our girls are all professional," She states then, proudly. "Just as I am."

With that, not waiting for an answer, she gathers in her arms the used bedsheets that she had discarded earlier on the floor and heads straight for the door, escaping from her best friend uncharacteristic harassing presence and questioning, and towards the laundry down the hallway.

But of course, Nicky doesn't relent so easily. Trotting behind her to keep up with her longer strides.

"I'm not putting onto doubt whether you are able to do your job competently or not."

And honestly, Alex is getting so confused right now, as well as increasingly annoyed, that she doesn't even know if this whole thing is just a friendly concern or what else.

All she knows is that she doesn't want to continue this pointless conversation.

"Good, then I believe we are done discussing that." She establishes, sighing tiredly as she pushes the employees only door open and enters the hot, noisy confines of the laundry room.

"And now, unless you want to help do some laundry you can get back to... whatever it is you were doing at the bar. I gotta put these to wash." She informs her uncharacteristically intrusive friend, holding up higher the mass of red sheets cradled in her arms.

Nicky, however, merely eyes the pile with curiosity before asking if...

"Can I smell them first?"

Anyone else, anyone who doesn't know Nicky as well as Alex does, would have probably startled and sputtered incredulously upon hearing such an obscene request.

But Alex _does_ know her. Although, even if she may not be so surprised for being asked such thing, she is still a bit grossed out by it, sneering in mild disgust.

"Pervert."

Given the fact that Nicky merely flashes her another one of those totally unabashed grins of hers in response though, with that insult Alex might as well have applauded her friend for coming up with that not-so-unexpected request.

But for how full, that smile doesn't stick for long...

Soon enough it drops. Re-shaping itself into something softer. Getting _dimmer._ Just like the gleam of amusement sparkling into those dark pools does.

And Alex recognizes that smile.

That _look._

That combination of concern and sisterly affection.

It's one that rarely makes an appearance, because it's not often that Nicky gets as serious as she has been with her in the past few minutes. Which, of course, makes Alex feel a bit uneasy. And, on top of that, she also feels a bit bad now for having maybe snapped a little at her best friend.

"Look," She sighs, calmly, with a note of apology in her tone. "You don't have to worry. You know I'm going to keep things professional Nicky if that is what concerns you."

A long moment of pause follows that promise, which doesn't help with that _thing_ that Alex feels twisting uncomfortably in her stomach, rendering her even more jittery under the scrutinizing gaze of her friend. But just when she is about to break the silence and tell her partner that she has to get back to work, unable to hold such stillness, Nicky speaks up again.

"It may not depend on you." And this time, upon hearing that, Alex _does_ a double take.

She almost _sways._

Frowning deeply in utter confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asks, and it's right in that moment that Nicky looks at her as if knowing _something_ that she doesn't.

As if catching something on her expression under the confusion that Alex isn't even aware herself might be there on her own face.

She has this sudden, irrational, ridiculous urge to get in front of a mirror and see for herself if she has a smear of lipstick or what somewhere, but... The way Nicky is looking at her right now is not like that night just a couple of weeks ago, when she has caught the chance to tease her after her first session in a long while.

It's not the kind of look that suggests something so plainly visible as the result of a fleeting moment of distraction from a young, inexpert, enthusiastic client.

"God..." Nicky shakes her head and chuckles, softly, not to mock her, but sounding genuinely amused in a way that only confuses Alex more. "It's a wonder how someone as smart and intuitive as you can still be a bit oblivious sometimes. It's kind of adorable actually."

Completely baffled and with an ego that got slightly bruised at that unexpected blow, Alex is about to ask _what the hell_ is she even talking about that Nicky interrupts her again.

"Alright, hot stuff." She drawls, sighing. "I'll leave you to wash the... _result_ of your work and I'm going to get back to flirt with our usual customers for an extra tip." She informs before eyeing with longing the pile of sheets still balled up in her arms. "It seems like I'll have to smell the orgasm off those another time. But I know that getting the same, rather _enthusiastic_ response is not a challenge for you in the slightest."

With that, a wink, and the hugest, most annoying smile _ever,_ Nicky turns around and walks out of the laundry room, leaving Alex there on her own. Still trying to regain her lost balance with that latest accusation, feeling so utterly, unbelievably _stunned._

It takes her a few moments longer to collect her thoughts, shaking her head to get past the last few minutes of conversation before the noisy machines around her and the used sheets in her arms remind her of the reason why she came here, finally getting back to the task at hand.

She sets the sheets on top of one of the washing machines and is about to reach for the detergent on the shelf above when she is suddenly caught by the whiff of a scent that is becoming quite familiar to her already.

It comes from the pillowcase on top of the pile.

Almost without even thinking about it, she reaches out and picks it up, and then, as if guided by an instinct, by an unknown urge, she brings it under her nose and-

 _There it is..._

That soft bergamot note laced with the more aromatic, although faint, drop of galbanum.

So delicately flowery, and yet, she still catches it clearly at the first inhalation.

The scent has seeped onto the sheets, intertwined itself with the fibers along with the syrupy smell of arousal, all balanced by that bit of salt of resulting sweat.

As that sweet essence teases her nose and fills her lungs, leaving her mouth-watering, something a bit more unexpected erupts in her stomach, too.

Sparking.

Bright and warm and... _fluttery._

Such... _feeling_ \- so foreign, but definitely not unpleasant - throws her back to barely half an hour ago when she has experienced it last.

And here, alone, in the confines of the laundry room, she doesn't have to hide from anyone the smile that may or may not curl on her lips.

 **. . .**

 _Piper's inner walls ripple greedily around the shaft buried to the hilt inside of her from behind. Savoring those last few sips of an orgasm that she doesn't want to end but is already starting to taper off._

 _Alex's hands, warm and soft on her hips, are the only anchor she has. The only support holding her firmly in place, keeping their bodies sealed together as the first sparkle of aftershock zips through her body._

 _But even with that firmness, even with that solid touch that brings her a sense of stability and gentleness at once, Piper is far too gone, too exhausted. And if there was even one last bit of strength left in her muscles, it has poured out of her along with this last powerful release that she has been holding back for so,_ so _long. Waiting for Alex's command as if waiting to receive a drink of water after days spent under the unforgiving, lethal heat of the desert._

 _But she has done it._

 _She has_ resisted _._

 _She has_ obeyed _._

 _And the result has turned out to be even more gratifying than the torture (for how controversial) that she has been put through._

 _She has cherished it all in its completeness._

 _She doesn't know for how much longer she would have been able to hold back. But in the moment that command finally came, in the moment Alex has leaned onto her back from behind and has whispered that rewarding "Come for me,_ pet _." The gates had slammed opened, giving out under the unbearable pressure of the flood of her own release._

 _Piper can feel it even now. Dripping down her trembling thighs. Still warm, but rapidly cooling on her skin, making her shiver even harder than exertion itself is already making her do on its own._

 _Even her cheeks are wet, with the tears of a relief so immense that almost makes the burning in her muscles and lungs dismissable._

 _She has never felt so deeply overwhelmed before. So gloriously satisfied. And under the weight and frenzy of all those feelings colliding together, mingling and making her head spin with the cocktail of adrenaline and other hormones coursing, flooding her system, her quivering body begins to give in._

 _Her arms bend first._

 _No longer able to sustain the effort that is taking her to hold up her torso._

 _But... As she slumps forward, strangely enough, she doesn't fall unceremoniously, face-first onto the bed._

 _Luckily, she is spared of the little additional embarrassment that such scene would have most definitely elicited. Held up at the last moment by the arm that wraps promptly around her waist from below, circling her stomach, and keeping her up._

 _"It's okay..."_

 _Alex's voice, so gently deep, so sweetly husky - even hers laced with a certain strain of exertion, Piper instantly notices - whispers in the settling quietness, softly but still loud enough to be heard under the dissipating ringing in her ears._

 _"I got you."_

 _The heat of another body pressed against her shouldn't make her shiver even harder, and yet it does. And upon hearing that reassurance, encouraged by the comforting feeling of being held, so firmly but with such gentleness, Piper takes that sweet, sweet invitation to let go, whimpering softly as she allows the raven-haired woman to help her lay down, more properly onto the bed._

 _The shaft resting inside of her shifts, slipping out at last during the movement, and even though she is drained from absolutely_ everything _she had, her inner muscle still clench in protest at the feeling, as if to grasp the fullness that has been there but a moment ago, stretching her so_ wonderfully _, filling her so_ completely.

 _She swallows down a whine at its loss, which is also met with a contrasting dose of relief though. Neither of the two predominate. Each getting swallowed by that same sense of contentment that is spreading inside of her like a sweetly burning flame that makes her skin tingle, so delightfully and all over that the feeling leaves her humming softly in the back of her throat as the rest of her body recovers after having its strings been yanked at for so long but oh so expertly._

 _Once settled properly onto her stomach on the bed, she feels Alex move away, hearing the unmistakable sound of straps as she discards the harness and toy from around her waist before Piper feels the mattress dip under her weight again, feeling that compelling warmth getting closer again and returning at her side, even more comforting than before._

 _"You okay there, kid?"_

 _With the newfound softness in Alex's tone, that term of endearment, one that has been used before and one that Piper might even be getting a bit fond of already, doesn't catch her by surprise. It falls with an incredible ease, and flits between this moment of recovery so smoothly, like the hand that reaches out to caress her side._

 _And Piper can't think of any other adjective right now to describe her current state that isn't simply "Wonderfully."_

 _It's just one word, but it still comes out mumbled and a bit muffled even by the corner of the pillow she is half-laying on, and she doesn't know whether it's that slur or the wide smile, the huge_ grin _of pure, authentic contentment that spreads across her face, matching the ecstatic euphory that she feels thrumming inside of her, what earns her a deep, sweetly husky chuckle in response and the profoundly comforting feeling of that hand, so gentle and tender and warm, leaving that spot on her waist and traveling up to brush away the sweat-slick strand of hair that has fallen and covered the side of her face._

 _"You did_ so _good..." This time the praise is not laced with that certain sultriness that Alex uses when she is in her role of Mistress. Right now, the raven-haired woman sounds genuinely content, so very, very pleased. But also somehow... pensive._

 _"I wasn't too rough with you, was I?"_

 _Pensive indeed, Piper thinks as she summons the last bit of strength left in her body to turn around and face Alex, and for a moment, when she catches that twitch, that little_ crinkle _of worry between those perfectly sculpted eyebrows, Piper sure can't help but wonder_ how _the woman before her can be the same one who just a few minutes ago was pounding so hard and so mercilessly inside of her, spanking her and throwing a few, mildly insulting, slightly humiliating words at her._

 _It's not the consideration what surprises Piper, but... something else on Alex's expression._

 _Something she can't quite identify or put a name on but that is definitely_ there. _Tugging her own lips into a smile in front of that sincere concern._

 _Because Alex_ has _been rough with her. Enough that Piper already knows her body is going to sport the proof of it for at least a day or two. She is most definitely going to be_ sore, _but there's never been a moment, not even a split second during the entire session, where she has ever even just thought about using her safeword._

 _She has toed some limits today, but Alex has always been so in control for the both of them to keep the balance without swaying. And that's what has allowed Piper to enjoy all of this so deeply and thoroughly._

 _As much as physically as she did psychologically, in a way._

 _Because it has brought no small amount of comfort knowing that she could just let go, without having to worry about overstepping her own boundaries. Knowing that Alex was there,_ aware _of them herself, and preventing her from slipping._

 _And now, the result may have left her tired and drained, sure, but she also feels... so magnificently_ invigorated.

 _However, before she can come up with a satisfying, truthful answer, she feels Alex's hand wander lower in a caress down her back, reaching the firm swell of her butt and here, even under that feather-light touch, Piper can't contain the little hiss that slips past her lips, or prevent her muscles from contracting, instinctively, as she squirms a bit away from the touch without wanting to. More in overstimulation than actual pain._

 _But that first reaction, that hiss, that jerking away of her hips from under that tentative touch, is all the response that Alex needs to make a wrongful assumption._

 _"I guess that answers my question." Piper hears the raven-haired woman sigh, guiltily, behind her, but she is not about to let that conviction stick despite the way her overly stimulated body may have reacted right now._

 _"You weren't rough, and it's not pain," She promptly assures, turning around some more to better face Alex, wanting the raven-haired woman to see the sincerity of her words before she can be reprimanded in some way for not saying anything about it like Piper has the suspect she might be about to do._

 _"I'm just... particularly sensitive right now. But I..." And then, just when Piper thought that she was well past such... reserve at this point, she blushes, biting onto her bottom lip. "I truly enjoyed it." She admits, fighting against that tinge that she can feel scalding her cheeks and neck, and adding the most sincere_ "I promise" _when she still catches signs of hesitation on the raven-haired woman's face._

 _"Still," Alex insists, reprimandingly. "I should have probably been more gentle considering that this was your first time after all."_

 _Piper is about to tell her that if she did, the experience wouldn't have turned out as enjoyable as it has been for her, but before she can even open her mouth again, she sees Alex's features smooth out and brightening up with what appears to be a sudden idea come to mind, right before she gets up from the bed with a rather enigmatic "I'm gonna get you something."_

 _A protest dies on Piper's lips when she feels all of that warmth leave her side as Alex climbs off the bed and heads for the dresser leaned against the wall. Startled by such... urge, such_ need _for closeness that she hasn't felt in quite some time._

 _She blames it on the cocktail of post-coital hormones winding through her system, but is unable to pretend that she doesn't feel the little flutter in her chest when Alex returns just a few moments later, carrying a small bottle of lotion with her that makes Piper frown curiously as soon as she notices it._

 _"What's that?"_

 _Alex flashes her a smile as she climbs back onto the bed. "A soothing lotion."_

 _Oh._

Oh...

 _"A... a soothing lotion?" She asks as the realization of why and especially_ how _Alex is going to apply it on her sinks in._

 _The raven-haired woman just hums in confirmation. "Now turn around." She instructs, and Piper might feel a bit nervous at the prospect, slightly self-conscious even, but she doesn't hesitate for a moment upon hearing that command and feeling the hand on her shoulder blade gently urging her to lay down. After all, she is getting quite_ good _in obeying to those orders, even if this one doesn't hold that demand that has made that deep rich voice sound exquisitely more dangerous earlier, laced with the threat of punishment that she has endured and took a startling amount of pleasure in it._

 _And so, she turns around once more and lays down as instructed while Alex uncaps the little bottle and pours some of the gel-like substance onto her palm._

 _The smell of the lotion is what Piper catches immediately in the air saturated with the syrupy essence of her arousal._

 _It's a bit strong. Or maybe that's just her well-trained nose picking up instinctively those chemical traces that suggest something artificial added in the mix beside the essential oils and natural fragrances._

 _"I know," Alex says from behind her, sounding somehow apologetic, as if reading her very thoughts or maybe having caught a reaction from her that Piper hasn't realized she has given away so plainly._

 _"It's not the only one I got, though." The raven-haired woman informs her. "But it's one of the... let's say_ most _effective."_

 _Unprepared,_ unwarned _, Piper yelps a bit at the first touch of the gel on her skin. Caught off guard by the coolness of it even though she should have expected it given its..._ chilling _purpose._

 _"Sorry," Alex whispers, although Piper can still hear it under that apologetic tone. That_ smile _in her voice. The same one that she knows she would see adorning those soft lips if she dared to take a peek over her shoulder._

 _"You really don't have to Alex," It's what she says instead. But the protest is weak, rendered even more feeble by the soft hum rumbling in her throat once Alex starts delicately massaging the sore area. The name, however, slips from her lips with such ease that it doesn't even strike her at first._

 _They are still in the room sure, and the session might still be on even if approaching towards the ending. And yet there is just this... this lightness, the same soothing feeling wrapping around her that holds her back from calling Alex "Mistress". And Alex doesn't seem to mind it at all, maybe because she just lets it slide, or maybe because there is indeed a new, lighter atmosphere brought by this..._ intimate _act._

 _In all honesty, Piper might actually feel a bit touched by such thoughtfulness._

 _She has had her chances to see that trait unfold so openly in Alex throughout tonight's whole session, so perfectly balanced and yet emerging under the heavier opposite, exquisite roughness._

 _But this... This aftercare, feels more like a treat._

 _A small cuddle that isn't meant to provide any kind of pleasure, but that is still somehow linked to her good behavior perhaps._

 _Maybe it's a positive reinforcement, Piper thinks. But even such theory isn't strong enough to stick with all of that most authentic consideration._

 _"Trust me, you'll thank me for it." Alex's voice pulls her out from those thoughts with that professional assessment._

 _"This way you'll be able to at least_ sit _at your desk tomorrow." She teases lightly, and now, upon hearing so clearly that refreshing note of humor, Piper can perfectly picture the softer smirk that is undoubtedly tugging at those rosy lips as Alex keeps rubbing with an infinite carefulness but also confidently the lotion on her throbbing, inflamed ass cheek._

 _She is even starting to feel its first effect, and yeah, maybe the smell of menthol and eucalyptus are a bit too strong, enhanced by something chemical that tingles her nose, but the touch,_ Alex's touch _, so expert and attentive holding the essence of the woman herself, is what really soothes that prickling-like feeling lingering in that scalded area._

 _It even takes away whatever flimsy trace of slight awkwardness that Piper might have experienced when she first realized the raven-haired woman's intentions, bringing a comfort that seeps even deeper and makes her body buzz with a whole new energy, and that combined with the one still winding through her system makes her head swim oh so delightfully._

 _All that blissful, profound satisfaction that she has never experienced before combined with her general gratifying sense of exhaustion, is finally getting the better on her._

 _And with that sense of contentment swelling her chest and coursing through her veins, soothing her recovering body while Alex rubs so carefully, with an infinite gentleness, the lotion on that sensitive spot, it's easy to feel a bit drowsy, give into her heavy eyelids and let them flutter shut._

 _Her breathing evens out, and for a couple of minutes, she thinks that she might have actually drifted off._

 _An assumption that is confirmed to her when she is stirred back to awareness - barely a few instants before succumbing for good to the tempting oblivion of sleep - by the sweetly raspy sound of a familiar chuckle coming from behind her._

 _She also realizes that Alex has finished applying the ointment and that the hot pulsing that was there on her butt merely a few minutes ago has now_ cooled _onto a more numb state._

 _When she turns around, blinking to adjust her vision to the soft lighting, blushing oh so very softly, a little embarrassed and apologetic for having indeed drifted off even if for just a few moments, she is met with those irresistible lips and those stunning emerald lakes smiling down with that unmistakable glint of amusement and..._

 _And that same_ something else _that Piper can't quite decipher._

 _Something that remains undefined, but so visible in its subtlety. It's hinted softness reminds her maybe of...endearment._

 _Or maybe Piper is just so much more exhausted than she thought she was. Nonetheless, seeing such look doesn't fail in making her breath stutter a little in her chest while her heart trips helplessly all over itself..._

 **. . .**

"Way to go, co-CEO Chapman, you were dynamite in there."

Polly's chirpy voice rings out from her thoughts, dragging her from those memories and back onto the present, more specifically at work, in the now empty conference room.

"I'm sorry, what?" Piper asks blinking back onto focus, wondering for how long she has been out of it, and only then realizing about the smile that has been gracing her own lips.

It mustn't have been long though, because her business partner keeps talking rather excitedly as if she hasn't noticed the distant, pensive look on her face or the little smile adorning it.

"Okay, I'll admit that I would have maybe liked a heads up for those new changes you have mentioned," Her best friend admits. "But the rest, especially this new line of products idea you got, I like it. _A lot_."

Finally, upon hearing that, the past few minutes, the past hour actually, returns to her, successfully dissipating the haze she has plunged onto and regaining the usual clarity and composure that she has here at her company.

"Oh, yeah sorry," She apologizes. "It was... just a last minute idea I got last night," She dismisses with a nonchalant shrug. "I didn't even mean to bring it up today without giving it more thought and discussing it further with you first." She honestly admits, mostly to herself though, frowning, as she gathers papers from the long meeting room table, stocking them ordinately into a thick folder.

"Well no apologies needed, partner," Polly assures her excitedly. "I'm definitely glad you did. This new line would bring us a whole new branch of customers and keep the image of the company as young and daring, beside natural and healthy, which we _do_ need if we don't want to get crushed under the competition and distinguish ourselves even more from the rest of the mass." She rightfully observes. "But we can discuss better all the hypothetical details at lunch if you want."

"Sure..." Piper answers, a bit distractedly though, as she picks up and cradles the thick folder containing the very satisfying reports of the latest month to her chest. "Just... Let me get this to my office and get my coat and purse." She might also be considering making a phone call, but she doesn't intend to reveal that to her friend right now who, by the way, all of a sudden, in front of that simple-enough request, is giving her a... curious look.

"What?" Piper asks, frowning under that puzzling scrutiny.

Her friend remains silent for a few more seconds, arms crossing loosely over her blouse, leaning back onto one heel, before she just shakes her head.

"You just... You look good, Pipes." It's what she says eventually, approvingly. And even if those dark eyes aren't appraising her so intensely anymore, Piper can't not notice the smile that is slowly tugging at her lips. "Energetic," Polly adds. "But mostly... _rested_."

And it's indiscussible, because Piper _does_ feel rested. She feels put back together feels strong and in control

And she knows that it's no coincidence feeling so empowered after her latest, rather intense appointment. Considerably less nervous and with a sharper focus, or... well... At the exception of the last couple of minutes apparently.

"I'm sleeping better," She supplies, which is not untrue, because she has been indeed sleeping so much better and more profoundly lately. But even though she believes that her rest plays an important part, it's not the main reason why she feels so much more... _Vigorous_.

And her friend might as well have guessed as much by now considering the lopsided smile that Piper can still see there, lingering on her partner's lips, curled a bit higher, with that tilt suspicion sprinkled with amusement.

Piper sighs, rolling a bit her eyes in quiet exasperation. "What _is it_ , Pol?"

"Nothing." Her friend answers, the smile on her face barely contained from blossoming into a full cocky grin that is almost enough to make Piper groan. "I was just wondering how you got the idea of this "multi-purpose bedroom-kit" you came up with earlier at the meeting..."

Piper may resist that itching urge to chew at the inner corner of her bottom lip, but there is no suppressing the blush that tinges ever so lightly her cheeks or the way she starts squirming a bit on the spot, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. An unconscious gesture that catches Polly's attention with even more interest, making those dark eyes gleam as if suddenly she has been given the few more pieces of a puzzle that she has been quietly assembling on her own for what seems to be quite some time now.

"Would I be wrong if I were to assume that such idea may be related to your recent, healthier _"sleeping habits"_ involving a certain sex club and the _activities_ you take part in there and, more specifically, consequentially, related to the fact that you didn't sit down, not even _once_ , in the whole hour and a half of the reunion?"

The blush was already there, painting her cheeks into a lovely shade of pink, but now Piper, in front of that knowing look and accusation, can actually _feel_ the resulting heat for having been caught red-handed spread both lower onto her neck and further up till the tip of her ears.

Her lips part and close several times, but she is simply unable to come up with a response that wouldn't risk making her a target for some further teasing from her best friend and trigger even more her curiosity.

And so, she doesn't.

Deciding to ignore the comment altogether, because it's not like she _must_ provide an explanation after all.

Straightening up and holding her chin high she just says, "I'll meet you by the elevator in five minutes for lunch." And the illusion of a more composed demeanor of a straighter posture, thankfully, helps her a great deal in controlling the nerves fluttering in her belly and not make her sputter awkwardly, which is already a satisfying-enough result.

With that, she turns around and heads for the door leading into her office, trying to ignore her best friend's deeply amused chuckle and her "I'll give you ten", and doing her very best to contain the _limp_ that may or may not be noticeable even in her quick steps as she slips into her office.

The quietness she finds in there once the door closes behind her, is already enough to soothe that light sting of embarrassment, but of course, definitely not the one that is still there, persisting on her backside and making itself known more acutely when she walks over to her desk and drops mindlessly with an exhale onto her leather chair behind it.

The pain is numb, and even if she winces and squirms a little to adjust and not put too much pressure on that sore area, the memory about how it came to be, linked to such a delightfully satisfying encounter, can't not trigger a soft hum that vibrates oh so subtly through her entire body.

She sports that lightly-stinging bruise like an earned trophy, but even if the sparks of _how_ she has earned it are still bright in her mind, the tenderness of the care that she has received afterward add colors to them.

With a smile that she doesn't know is actually there gracing her lips once again, Piper reaches for her phone in the pocket of her blazer, and after a little inner struggle, she decides to search through her contacts.

Her next session isn't until next week. Plenty of time for her to... uh... _recover_ , as Alex said.

And it's also the only, single, weekly _session_ they have mutually agreed on at the beginning.

But... she wonders if maybe the raven-haired woman would be disposed to change the schedule and make arrangments for an earlier appointment.

She doubts that she'll have to use any of her persuasion skills.

Maybe, all she has to do is just take example from what Alex has taught her so far, and just... _ask_ , very nicely.

* * *

 **I have noticed that someone had already anticipated my intentions about the soothing lotion, lol :D It seems like I'm going to have to up my game in order to surprise you :)**


	12. Chapter 12

Hey there!

So, apparently even the previous chapter and that "post-coital" moment of connection has soothed those of you that were getting itchy for a more tender Vauseman scenes, didn't it? :D You guys don't have to worry over such things. You are well aware, I guess (considering all of my other Vauseman stories) that I tend to "go there" with these two sooner or later :)

With this kind of story though, given its particular plot and all the circumstances and boundaries, it's going to require some patience.

And speaking of... you have all been very patient indeed while waiting for this chapter :D I immensely appreciate that, and just so you know - if I'm taking more time than usual, it is because the chapter is coming out longer, that's all. So don't fret :P

Anyway, I have noticed that some of you asked if I could do a Q&A here, and... I'm not sure how that would work. Either way, my answer is: if you have questions about the story you can PM me, _or_ you can just let my story answer all of your questions as it slowly unfolds :P Also there are readers who probably want to get their doubts/question answered in this same way (through the story) and I respect that.

So nope :P No Q&A _here_ , but you can PM and ask me whatever you want (within reason ;) At the exception of making requests (since I'm _not_ taking any at the moment) or talk about the show since no, I haven't finished the fifth season yet.

I know, but that pool looks quite cozy, what can I say? :P And I thank you, by the way, for not mentioning anything about season six, especially for not leaving spoilers and/or personal opinions about it. I like to take my time with certain things, and find out by myself and in my own time how the new episodes are.

Now, back to the story. As anticipated it is a long chapter, and although there might be some... _action_ , that's not the main development in here ;) But I'll leave you guys to find out :)

Enjoy

* * *

Piper should have noticed the signs.

They have been as clear and unequivocal as always.

Starting from her nervousness and snapping. Even though such behavior could have easily been triggered for having to deal with a particularly incompetent estate agent that doesn't seem to understand the simple-enough concept of "store for sale _outside_ the city."

Luckily, she's been taught to always be prepared for such... _occurrence_. Aware of the remote possibility that she could receive that periodic visit unexpectedly.

Still, the oddly-out-of-phase visit is not what annoys her to no end. Infinitely more than usual.

But it's the fact that it happens when she has an appointment at the club with Alex.

Resigned, defeated, but mostly endlessly _frustrated_ , Piper heaves a silent sigh when she reaches the right room down the long, now quite familiar-looking hallway. The door is still slightly ajar, just like she left it a few minutes ago when she exited to go _check the situation_ after having had an... intuition along the way - and when she pushes it open even Alex is still there.

Sitting on the same spot on the edge of the bed.

Her head tilts up instantly at the clicking of her high heels on the floorboards and... the look that Piper finds on her face, creasing those gorgeous features, the sincerity in those softer emerald eyes is enough to help soothing the mix of annoyance and frustration that has started gnawing inside her. Quite literally, too.

"Is everything okay?" Alex asks her, promptly, standing up and taking a step towards her.

The same sincere worry showing so openly on her face is also there, laced in her deep voice, too, and despite everything, Piper truly can't help but smile in front of such an honest concern that makes her chest swell with another wave of comforting, soothing warmth.

"Yeah..." She answers, shuffling closer to the raven-haired woman, feeling a bit self-conscious though, but knowing that she owns Alex an explanation and also an apology for this... _occurrence_... that has taken her by surprise.

"I'm just..." She pauses, briefly chewing at the inner corner of her bottom lip, thinking about how to phrase this only to realize that, unfortunately, there aren't many ways to put it.

"I've got a... _hunch_ , while I was coming here. And, well..." Still, admitting such thing out loud, no matter the words she carefully decides to choose, is still source of a bit of embarrassment. "I'm afraid that I'm... indisposed, for today's session."

Getting to see the way Alex's eyebrows furrow, head tilting slightly to the side, watching the crease of confusion shaping those features, makes it pretty much close to impossible not to find that look kind of... _endearing_ on her. Especially considering how incredibly intuitive she is.

Piper might even revel at the sight of such expression, even if it lasts for only a moment though, because in an instant, those features smooth out from any lingering trace of confusion, and those green eyes widen with striking realization.

"Oh..." Alex breathes, gaze dropping lower to her belly, and Piper - barely resisting that nonsense urge that almost makes her squirm and wrap an arm around her lower belly, as if to shield herself from that scrutiny - just nods, blushing.

"Yeah... I know." She answers, lamely, at last. Tilting her head down and adjusting a lock of hair behind her ear in a poor attempt to hide some of that self-consciousness. "I'm sorry."

In the moment she glances up again though, to properly convey her apology, the only thing she is met with, is an unexpected spark of amusement slowly flickering to life onto deep emerald pools and stretching onto one of the faintest, most tentative little smirks that Piper has ever seen gracing Alex's soft, rosy lips.

"I guess that's not one of the things you are used to writing down and keep track of in your agenda, is it?" Alex asks her, quirking a playful eyebrow at her, and for how simple, even that light note of teasing helps Piper a great deal from feeling even more mortified by this entire, awkward situation.

"Actually it is," She still answers though, truthfully, but not as defensively as she would have answered to anyone else in her current, quite irritable condition. "And according to it, I'm an abundant week early."

"It's okay, Piper." The raven-haired woman assures her, shaking her head, sounding so very understanding as she dismisses her earlier (apparently unnecessary) apologies with a casual shrug and a comforting, easy, softer smile. "It happens."

But such consideration (or maybe it is the cocktail of hormones winding through her system) makes her all the more annoyed by the whole situation, especially knowing - or rather _not knowing_ but having no problem _imagining_ \- what today's session could have involved.

What Alex and that intriguing mind of hers had been planning, _specifically_ for her. Since she might have noticed the way Alex's gaze had shifted, earlier, when she first arrived, to the glass case containing the whole assortment of ordinately displayed whips and... riding crops.

Piper sighs, but inwardly groans. She was _really_ looking forward to this evening and to the chance of releasing some of the tension gathered in the past few days and that she now knows what had originated it.

"I should have been watching the signs more closely," She points out in self-reprimand.

"Like my mood swing _and_ -"

Suddenly, her voice stutters to a halt and she stiffens up, blushing ever so slightly at the thought of what she was about to reveal in her rant.

But, of course, this time she is not so lucky to have Alex ignore the way she has so hastily stopped herself, like the raven-haired woman has done a minute ago when dismissing her worries and unnecessary apologies.

" _...And?_ " Comes the curious incitement, adorned (as expected) with that smirk already twitching on those lips in anticipation to whatever revelation might come, knowing - given the abrupt halt - that it's definitely going to be source of some bashfulness.

Piper chews briefly on the inside of her cheek, taking in consideration her very limited options and...

 _Oh, what the hell..._

It's not like she should feel embarrassed over such a thing, she tells herself. Even though, by the time she feels like she has summoned enough confidence to speak again, that faint blush is still there, tinging her cheeks, and proving her wrong.

She heaves a sigh before finally revealing, with a quiet mumble, " _...sugar cravings._ "

There. But then, as if the revelation, paired with the hotter flush that is now reaching the tip of her ears isn't already enough to endure, she also has to watch as the smirk that was already there teasing at the corner of Alex's mouth, blossoms onto a grin that is just barely contained from spreading all over her gorgeous face upon hearing such confession.

"I see..." The raven-haired woman nods, doing an excellent job in keeping all of her humor contained. But it's only a matter of seconds before she gives in.

"So..." Here it comes, Piper thinks, already bracing herself for the dose of teasing.

"You got a sweet tooth, co-CEO Chapman?"

Piper knew it was coming. She wasn't expecting anything less from Alex than some of her wit. And that's probably what has made Piper a bit hesitant a few moments ago before deciding to reveal that detail about herself. She was just trying to avoid tickling the raven-haired woman's playful side, knowing how it would affect her, although... that thing that she can feel fluttering in her belly and inching higher up into her chest in front of Alex's amused smile, doesn't feel exactly like the itch of embarrassment that she expected.

It's... entirely different.

But she doesn't dwell too much on it. Focusing instead on her defense, because... It's not like she _has_ a sweet tooth per se, but her job keeps her very busy during the day. Enough so to make her even skip lunch occasionally, and so, consequently...

"I... may keep a few protein candy bars stocked in my desk drawer for emergencies."

The justification, however, does very little to help her.

In fact, if the previous confession wasn't already enough to tickle the raven-haired woman's amusement, that added information seems to absolutely _delight her._ Or at least that's what Piper gets when she sees that grin blossoms onto its full, irresistible, and oh so gorgeous beauty.

A smile in front of which Piper feels that same foreign little _thing_ stir in the cavity of her chest. The same one which smoother edges doesn't remind her one bit of the unmistakable, spikier ones of embarrassment scraping uncomfortably from the inside.

She is ready to blame _that smile_ for it.

Because, before meeting her, Piper would have never thought possible that a smile could look so beautiful and also so infuriating at the same time.

She's had to deals with a few arrogant persons along the way to get to the position she is today, but this feeling is... different. Elicited by nothing else than the authentic, lightly teasing nature that the woman herself possesses, which makes the resulting annoyance for that drop of cockiness, nothing but a charming sprinkle that adds brightness and uniqueness to her whole persona.

"Candy bars, huh?" Alex repeats, and even her perfectly sculpted eyebrow seems to quirk with a personality and intrigue of its own.

"Protein _granola_ bars." Piper corrects, feeling the need to stress that part, because she is as careful in her nutrition as Alex most likely is herself, given her... lean, toned appearance. Which (as Piper got the chance to find out by herself) also happens to be particularly sculpted in a few, very specific places...

And that's really all it takes for her mind to drift - even if for just a few seconds - to the memory of solid, firm, rippling muscles covered by a layer of impossibly soft skin. All perfectly balanced by sinuous, mouth-watering feminine curves.

"So..." Alex's voice rings out from those... exquisite thoughts and Piper promptly regains her balance, bracing herself once more for whatever it is to come next.

A quip, most likely. Or at least that's what the delightful smirk that she can still see there, perched firmly (yet subtly) on the corner of Alex's mouth seems to suggest.

"If I would ever peek into said drawer, I won't find any _chocolates_ or _ding dongs_ rolling around?"

Despite her slightly unfocused state, Piper gets the reference immediately. And she has the confirmation of being right about it when those green eyes rippling with amusement drift lower, appraising once more with that same infinite, boldly-open appreciation her best assets, which - Piper must admit - she might have started to show off a bit more often lately given the... _attention_ that she has started receiving there.

"The legs are there," Alex states and Piper doesn't miss the way the tip of a pink tongue darts out, briefly, to wet those lips. "The position of authority, too. Stubbornness- or rather, _determination,_ " Alex corrects, respectfully. "I have a feeling you don't lack a healthy dose of that either. Although..." And here, she pauses. Smile widening further. Slowly. "I'm not sure I can imagine how your voice would sound with a _southern_ drawl."

When it comes, the instinct to swat her is simply _irrepressible._

And it is only after Piper has succumbed to it - so naturally and spontaneously - that she realizes what she has done. When the back of her hand has already collided with a muted _smack_ against one of those strong, broad shoulders, but by then, before the sense of inappropriateness for the gesture can settle in, it gets instantly taken away by the sound of the humorous laugh that tumbles from Alex's lips as the raven-haired woman cradles her arm.

It's that same, slightly-husky chuckle that Piper has already heard rumbling with a certain raspiness in her chest, but that when it slips past those rosy lips with that breathed, unexpectedly soft, velvet-like quality, it just sounds so... uniquely _melodic_ to her ears.

"You are hilarious." Piper states, going for dry, but utterly incapable to fight against the pull of the smile tugging far-too-insistently at her lips - and left just as powerless against the new tinge of pink that colors her cheeks.

"Yeah," Alex shrugs, dropping her hand from the arm Piper has barely brushed with her knuckles. "I've been told before." The grin on her face, however, collides and invalidates the fake modesty that she just put in her reply.

A few moments pass, but despite the silence, there is none of that heaviness of awkwardness.

The silence is light and surprisingly pleasant, and the carefree moment of innocent teasing, in its simplicity, is something Piper actually needed, even if the surrounding makes the interaction...considerably different from the one she is quickly getting used to inside this room.

"So..." Once again, after diverting her gaze first and softly clearing her throat, Alex is the first one to speak. "Besides sweet treats..." She summarizes, with that same amused little smirk that makes Piper roll her eyes in response, with a bit of exasperation smudged with a smile of her own though, because now it's too late to backtrack and take that information back.

" _Yes...?_ " She asks, indulgingly.

"Are there... any _other_ things you have been craving these past few days?"

The question strikes her as a bit odd at first. But then... Alex takes that little step forward, and suddenly, those emerald eyes that have been rippling with playfulness till a moment ago, are no longer appraising her with that spark of humor.

They have turned a shade darker. Even the smirk adorning those lips has dimmed.

Now it's just barely hinted, with a certain allusion that is not so subtle in her expression, but made all the more clear and indisputable by that question - and the meaning behind it - that Piper catches almost immediately after that brief, split second of confusion.

Other _hormone-induced cravings_...

 _Of course._

Now she knows exactly what the raven-haired woman is most definitely asking her. And with good reason.

Because in between all of those clear, premonitory signs that Piper feels so naive now for not having recognized them for what they have been, there is also that specific... _aspect._

Maybe, if she had paid more attention to the changes in her body and mood she wouldn't be here in this situation; left at the mercy of Alex's amusement. And there is no way she is going to wriggle herself out of that teasing grasp with some more humor this time.

"I think you can imagine." It's what Piper offers in answer eventually, after a careful consideration of her words. But, unsurprisingly, it's hardly enough of a proper response for Alex, who might get a kick out of _explicitness_.

"Indulge me." The raven-haired woman encourages her, and in front of that charming, little, sly smile stretching that tiny bit further, Piper is really left with no choice.

"Yes..." She confirms with a nod, feeling her cheeks scald in that familiar way that, strangely enough, does not feel as uncomfortable at the revelation as she expected it would feel.

"I may have experienced some..." She pauses, swallows, barely refraining from squirming on the spot, but despite her efforts, there is simply no containing the way that blush spreads like a fire down her neck. "...sexual arousal."

 _Horny as hell_ would be a more adequate description of what she has indeed been experiencing during this past couple of days, but she doesn't even dare _to think_ how Alex would react if she were _that_ explicit.

She stops herself there, because she has no intention to reveal that the reason why she might have overlooked that very specific... _feeling_ as one of those unmistakable signs of her approaching period, was because the memories of her latest session have lingered with a certain persistence in her mind - therefore, woke up the rest of her body as well, stirring that need much deeper, and in more than just one separate occasion during the past week.

The glint of that sharp white result of the huge grin that Piper already expected to see, however, much to her immense surprise, doesn't show up.

Alex licks that smile away, oh so subtly, with the tip of her tongue.

It darts out from between her smooth lips, leaving them glistening so seductively, and the gesture, even in its simplicity, still catches Piper off guard, making the breath stutter in her chest as her heart, too, gets tangled up over its own strings at the next beat when the raven-haired woman takes another little step closer.

And only she, and no one else, can manage to do something so simple with both confidence and that contrasting hint of tentativeness.

With just that small step in her direction, their bodies get that tiny bit closer. Enough for Piper to be able to actually _feel_ the warmth emanating from the woman.

As compelling as the whiff of that scent that teases her nose with all of its now familiar notes of fresh orange blossoms and mature blackberries, which juicy essence, so perfectly balanced between that fruity sweetness and that refreshing, moderate tartness, gets the mouth watering.

"Anything _specific_?" It's what Alex asks her then, as if she already _knows_. And, in all honesty, it wouldn't surprise Piper in the slightest if she actually does.

She can read minds, after all. Or rather - more logically - has an incredible, vast knowledge and an intimidating natural talent in catching even the most minimal, unconscious reaction from the body and interpret its subtle language, which leaves Piper wondering what hers might be giving away so plainly right now despite her (apparently futile) attempts to maintain a cool demeanor.

There are many answers she could provide to that question. Being fully explicit and admit the entire truth about having maybe fantasized about her latest session, would be a little too much for her right now, but...

Perhaps, after all, adding a note of humor to the conversation would help her (or at least give her the impression) in lightening the air around, already charging - also because of the proximity - with that kind of electricity that is making her body... _react,_ in an extremely familiar way.

It is worth a try if it even means distract herself from that well-known sensation stirring in her lower regions...

"If you are trying to get me all worked up knowing that there is nothing you can do about it, then I'm pretty sure there is a part in the contract you made me sign that prohibits this kind of _extensive_ teasing with a client."

Her attempt at humor, however, gets delivered only partially, because even though she manages to elicit that soft, breathed little chuckle from Alex, it's hardly enough to discourage the raven-haired woman, and... now that she thinks better about it, Piper should have guessed as much.

"I think I would remember inserting such clause," Alex replies. "But, in any case, who said I can't do _anything_ about it?" She asks then, looking sincerely confused. Eyebrows furrowed, head tipped ever so slightly on the side, even if the smile is still there, tugging at those impossibly soft lips with a secrecy behind it that annoys Piper as much as it intrigues her, to no end.

A hand is extended to her then and Piper has to blink away from that piercing, enchanting emerald gaze in order to see it.

"Come," Alex invites her, tilting her head in the general direction of the bed behind her without diverting her gaze from her rather stunned one.

"Alex..." The name is barely a whisper when it falls from her lips (almost without her even realizing it) and flits into the light, comfortable silence surrounding them.

Whether it is a warning or a plea, Piper truly doesn't know.

Alex's intoxicating scent is already lifting that same haze around her that makes it harder for her to reason properly. The only certainty she has about the way that name slips from her lips, is that it's not a protest to whatever thing Alex might be suggesting, even though a great part of her also wants to tell the woman to not torment her in these conditions.

Making her frustrated would be more than a bit cruel. To an extreme that not even Alex, with all her teasing and curious probing, seems to be capable of.

But she doesn't even need actual words to voice and express the contrast that she is experiencing.

Her body is already speaking loudly on its own as it inches - almost instinctively - closer to Alex. Succumbing to the irresistible, magnetic pull of that warmth and that enigmatic invitation.

And when she happens to show a bit of indecision, catching her bottom lip between her teeth, Alex tells her something that takes that flimsy hesitation away for good.

" _Trust me._ " The raven-haired woman asks her. So softly. Oh so quietly. But the impact of those words, of that request, hits Piper hard and square in the chest, knocking the breath out of her lungs only to feel her ribcage expand and something else inside there swell with the stuttered inhale that slips through her slightly parted lips in front of the look that she's met with on Alex's face.

That... softer smile. Which is actually more visible in her eyes than her lips. But even in its subtlety it still seems to leave a side of her exposed; showing the hint of that same tenderness, the same one that Piper has caught a few glimpses of during her previous sessions, and that has contrasted so beautifully with that sharper, brighter spark of roughness that Alex possesses and has unleashed to render the experience so wonderfully unique for her. _So complete_ with those two elements that have been so expertly, perfectly balanced between themselves.

And now... now the raven-haired woman is asking her to lend a bit of trust that Piper has already handed to her fully.

Because Alex has given ample proof, over and over, that she can be trusted with anything in this room, in any circumstance, with the couple of the fantasies they have gotten the chance to explore so far. And so, nervousness of the unknown aside, with those two words still lingering in whatever space is left between them, as light as air itself, stretched by the hand extended towards her, in front of that softer, mischief-free, more sincere smile bringing up a whole new shade of green into those enchanting, rippling green pools, whatever trace of tentativeness and uncertainty was sticking in her mind, is instantly taken away, and she doesn't hesitate for more than a flimsy second before reaching out and slipping her hand into Alex's soft, warm one, feeling the thrill- the _hot shiver_ that, this time, sparks from that spot between her stomach and chest, spreading all over her body from the inside out when Alex grins back at her before tugging her gently towards the bed.

She takes a seat right on the edge, on the same spot Piper saw her sitting not even five minutes ago when she returned into the room and Alex was there.

 _Waiting_ for her.

More than a bit _concerned._

She gets pulled closer until the only obvious option left, is for her to straddle the raven-haired woman's waist.

...just like she has done last time she has been invited to do so during her previous session.

Those memories, still scorchingly hot in her mind, flare once more and ignite the rest of her body, forcing her to suck in a sharp breath of air when she feels her heart slam against her ribcage at the flow of feelings that get once again triggered by those images that start replaying in her head.

She is only brought back from them by the soothing feeling of Alex's dexterous, soft hands caressing her thighs, following the curve of her waist until, finally, the gesture and its vague travel up her body triggers the only logical question regarding this whole... position.

"What are you doing?" Piper asks, and it's half a breathed nervous little laugh (because those soft hands may tickle a little bit against her sides) and half a question, but it definitely doesn't hold the slightest note of a protest or apprehension. Just pure curiosity enhanced by no small amount of anticipation.

The answer, when it comes, is simple and honest, but mostly serious. Because Alex has indeed a colorful sense of humor spiced with all of her refreshing cleverness and that attractive dash of sassiness and sarcasm but - as Piper has instantly noticed - during these... particularly delicate moments, there is only space for the monochromaticity of seriousness.

"Nothing you don't want to," Alex replies, plain and simple. An answer that doesn't leave space for arguments, because consent is the number one rule in here, and the one the raven-haired woman takes with all the earnestness it rightfully demands.

"But something I think you might need," She also adds, a bit pensively. "Unless of course, I am mistaken and there is something you would like to tell me before going any further."

 _There._

It was bound to pop up at any moment now.

That subtly direct search for confirmation.

It's not something that Alex has done often, but in cases like this very particular one Piper not only understands, but is actually immensely thankful and comforted by all of that assurance and deep consideration that Alex possesses along with her supernatural intuition in catching even the most subtle signs of what could possibly be hesitation.

Even just hearing that non-question is enough to soothe some of the nerves that Piper feels fluttering in her stomach.

Her lips get pulled into a smile, unable to contain it as she shakes her head. "No... I'm just..." She pauses, considering her words, only to realize once again that there is still no other way to put this any more subtly than "It's just that I'm not exactly in the conditions to be... touched, _directly,_ after all." She points out as an unnecessary reminder, blushing and cringing ever so slightly.

"Don't worry," Alex promptly reassures her with that easy, unconcerned smile that is just as comforting as the feeling of those hands circling her waist and settling on the small of her back, thumbs rubbing soothing little circles against those two spots barely a couple of inches above her kidneys that always manage to gather tension during these days of the month. The motion itself isn't exactly precise either, and the casualness of it only makes Piper wonder how conscious the gesture might even be.

"I never said I was going to touch you," Alex points out. "But... from what you told me, and from what I can also see for myself," She adds, glancing at her up and down, smile shifting into that same old smirk, looking oh so pleased by what she sees before her, as if reading those very same subtle reactions that Piper isn't aware she is giving away with such obviousness. "It seems like you could still use some... relief."

Whatever Alex might be suggesting makes little to no sense at all.

If relief is what she truly intends to bring her, then touching _must_ be somehow involved, and for how indisposed Piper might be right now, for how embarrassing it is to admit such a thing - even if just to herself - hearing that possibility makes her desiring those attentions even more, especially knowing how _tremendously_ rewarding they tend to be.

And even if what Alex just said might have erased its own meaning within that same puzzling phrase, going against any logic, Piper knows that the woman is indeed full of surprises and can bend logic itself. And she is once again reminded of that capability when Alex's hands abandon that sweet spot on her back and sneak on her front again, reaching for the lapel of her blouse and... popping the first button open with expert fingers. Providing her with the first piece of the puzzle representing her wicked intentions when those hands, once all the buttons of her shirt have been opened, revealing her naked torso and abdomen, that piercing emerald gaze fixes on her small, slightly swollen breasts, clad in the black lace bra underneath, with such intensity, and so... _hungrily_ that even just that look alone is enough to send a shiver up her back and make her breath hitch a little in her throat; a first reaction triggered by instant realization. In response to which Alex just hums in confirmation.

"You are so delightfully responsive here," She says, shaking her head and releasing a long breath through her nose with that unequivocal look of infinite approval.

"And even if this is definitely not what I had planned for your session this evening, I'll admit that I might have taken in consideration the idea of... _exploring_ your sensitivity here a little further, sooner or later."

The admission doesn't surprise Piper in the slightest. Alex has given ample proof and shown to be as enthusiastic about exploring her as Piper herself is in receiving whatever kind of attention (and in going through whatever kind of sweet - eventually rewarding - torture) that the raven-haired woman has planned for her. And this one is no exception, even if she might not have a clear picture of what _exactly_ it is that Alex has in mind, _yet_...

That piercing green gaze returns to her naked chest. The tip of that pink tongue darts out again to wet what Piper has found out (by... _mistake_ ) being a pair of impossibly, sinfully soft lips. Which sweetness she still remembers, vividly, and might have craved on more than just a couple of occasions...

"I'm glad you haven't followed my suggestion to wear less refined undergarments," Alex tells her, once more openly voicing her appreciation with a quite flattering comment. "You have excellent taste. And wear it always so elegantly."

And Piper would even thank her for such compliment if her voice hadn't been taken hostage and replaced by the excited beats of her heart, which she can feel bouncing right at the base of in her throat, pulsing with a rush of blood in her ears, just like the rest of the nerves all over her body keep thrumming, shaking with the same thrilling anticipation that is making her skin tingle.

A sensation that seems to grow tenfolds when Alex proceeds to unclasp her bra with expert fingers and then, slowly, carefully, slide the two thin pieces of soft, delicate garments off her shoulders in one smooth motion. Leaving her there, in her lap, naked from the waist up. Shivering, even though Piper feels like she might be combusting from the inside out under the piercing green gaze caressing every single one of the newly revealed curves with an intensity hot enough to scorch.

But simply looking (thankfully) is not the only thing that Alex limits herself to do.

Despite the warmth of those hands, and the way it envelops her when they cup her breasts, Piper still shivers, violently, at that first touch, much to the raven-haired woman's obvious delight, who smirks knowingly up at her, in that _"Oh this is nothing, you better brace yourself"_ kind of way, which is as promising as it is threatening, because, besides the main rules that have now sunk into Piper as a second instinct, during these few sessions she also happens to have learned (in the hard way) how much of an insufferable tease Alex can be.

But even that harsh shiver- that shock, that travels through every single inch of her and raises goosebumps in its wake, is still nothing compared to the full, harsh twitch that her body does, and the deep, breathless moan that falls from her lips when Alex - after flashing her one of those little smirks that already speaks for itself in its plain mischievousness - just leans in and, without warning, without preambles, ducks her head, sucking one of her nipples in the inviting, moist, scorchingly-hot, heavenly chamber of her mouth.

 **. . .**

Alex's had a... let's call it a hunch, about the young woman's sensibility in this very particular area.

She has noticed it both the times she has played with those hard little peaks. Either rolling them between her fingers or simply flicking her thumb over them to test an initial response -or taking them alternately into her mouth to gather some more data to put on comparison, but... she can't say that in all her data-gathering and _research_ she hasn't taken a certain, very specific kind of pleasure in testing the young woman in such a way. In watching how intensely she reacted.

And now that she is actually starting to suspect that Piper might be even more sensitive than what she has first assumed, and so much more responsive than she had actually hoped, it only makes the whole thing even more appealing than it already was.

The confirmation of such discovery delights her, but, of course, it's also not to forget that the blonde's sensibility here might also be... slightly enhanced today by her current _conditions_ , which Alex makes sure to keep well in mind when her teeth start getting a bit restless with the itching impulse to nibble and scrape against the little bud she has sucked between her lips and is now circling with the tip of her tongue; lapping at it gently, almost lazily, while her other hand plays a similar game with its twin, pinching and rolling, swiping the pad of her thumb across it.

It sure would be even more wonderful finding out if Piper actually receives pleasure here in a similar way she does... down _there_. It would expose an whole new branch of infinite options, all worthy to be further explored. And, so far, Alex can confidently say that she definitely seems to be on the right path considering the long shuddering breaths, the sharper intake of air that she hears coming from the young woman, who has already started to quiver in her lap - just another reaction that speaks for itself (and quite loudly, too) about how much she must have been... craving these kinds of attention during these past few days - probably even more than what she has admitted out loud.

And Alex, hit by a surge of sympathy, has every intention to take care of those needs, as much as she physically can - considering Piper's currently indisposed state - and, while she is at it, also try to discover if her suspicions are founded after all.

She starts by sucking a bit harder at the stiffened bud captured between her lips; just barely toeing that thin line between pleasure and pain that brings the enjoyable sting she is aiming for. The same one that she knows that she's successfully hit when Piper jolts on top of her, releasing an exquisite sound that is in between a hiss and a breathless moan as her back arches and her hips roll forward, harshly. With an instinct and that not-completely-conscious demand that instantly makes Alex's currently occupied lips curl into a smile against that small, oh so deliciously responsive, hardened little bud.

Encouraged by such reaction, she continues, enthusiastically, but it becomes quite evident, pretty soon too, that she doesn't even have to try very hard, or experiment for too long to realize that things look incredibly promising indeed.

" _Please_..."

Just like it appears that she doesn't have to wait long to hear the first plea.

It slips from Piper's lips in between a needy moan and a breathless gasp. And it surprises Alex for the timing, making her realize that she might have either gotten a bit carried away if she has already pushed the young woman to beg her, or perhaps Piper is actually more desperate for release than she herself didn't know.

Either way, even if none of this is about her, Alex truly couldn't help but overindulge. Because the young blonde is just so exquisitely responsive, so eager and-

And so ready for so much more, too...

Because even though such request isn't immediately specified by words, there is barely any need for it to be. The clear note of hesitation that Alex easily catches, along with the burning embarrassment that she can ear just as clearly under the lust coating Piper's voice, speaks loudly (and obviously enough) by itself.

But alone, that's not enough. Even if she is gifted with a great intuition, giving things for granted in this profession, in these delicate situations, is not something Alex would ever feel comfortable in doing or even dare to, and so, it is with extreme reluctance, but guided by the much more demanding need to know, that she releases that stiff little peak from between her lips with a soft, wet, popping-like sound and pulls back (much to Piper's disapproval, who half-whimpers and half-groans at the loss of the warmth of her mouth) and if there was any shadow of ambiguity in Alex's certainty, it is completely erased once she takes a first look at the expression those young features are shaped onto.

The desperation that she finds there, is unmistakable.

It shines onto the reflecting rippling surface of those deep blue lakes, now so dark and lustful that it would be tremendously easy just drowning in them.

Still, for a moment, even in front of all that plain desperation, Alex finds it hard to suppress her teasing side, and she is almost tempted to ask Piper to be more specific, even if she already knows (from that look, but mostly from the way those hips keep rolling with a will of their own, rocking onto her lap, _seeking_ for friction) what, _precisely,_ the young businesswoman needs right now.

But being in front of that obvious need doesn't make the whole situation less delicate. And even though there are no concerns on her part, the last thing that Alex wants is risk making her client- making Piper feel uncomfortable and reconsider this whole improvisation idea she's had. And so, for this time, she refrains from asking the obvious. Even though...

"Please..." The young woman repeats, with an urgency in that request that _demands_ to be heard, and Alex is not only left surprised, but absolutely delighted when, without hinting at anything, Piper, out of her own volition, looks at her, and with those deep half-lidded blue eyes, and those cheeks flaring into the most lovely shade of pink - result of both arousal and that shade of self-consciousness that she stubbornly keeps fighting with such bravery - asks her, explicitly, to...

"Please," And this time that sweet, smooth voice actually breaks in a needy sob. "Please _touch me_..."

Pride is the first thing that Alex recognizes and can clearly, _physically_ feel expanding her ribcage with her next breath. Because even if she knows that she has done a good job in installing that basic concept into the young businesswoman, about asking, _politely,_ for whatever she needs, Piper truly is the fast learned that Alex knew she would be. Although... She can't help but notice that there seems to be something else mingled with that emotion that also takes residence in her chest upon hearing that plea.

Something that has a bit less to do with the request itself and more with the desperate need dripping from that strained voice.

The same thing that makes her contain the smile (the proud grin) that is there, itching to stretch on her lips and take over her entire face.

It's hard to hold it back, but Alex makes sure to keep her own expression neutral, no matter the effort it takes her, because now she needs to, in order to convey all of her reassurance and make sure that such request isn't met with the obvious drop of... disgust that Piper clearly expects from her given her hesitation.

She simply decides to meet that request with just one question of her own, even though her hand is already making its way lower, climbing down the ladder of that jutting ribcage before she asks if "Are you _wearing_...?"

For the same reason of not wanting to risk embarrassing Piper further over her own request, she still deliberately chooses not to specify though.

In its subtlety and deliberate incompleteness, the question is already clear enough anyway. Even for Piper, who is quite lost in her lust-hazed state as she is, still catches the obvious hint with ease.

Alex can tell so in the instant she sees those rosy cheeks gain some more color, turning onto a slightly brighter, absolutely flattering shade of pink before the young flustered woman shakes her head in negative.

"N-no, I..." She stutters, caught in the grasp of an exquisite shiver elicited by the fingers Alex is still using to play absently with the other extremely responsive nipple; trapping it lightly and pulling just as gently to keep her balanced over that thin edge.

She watches as that elegant throat bobs when Piper swallows, hard, in an attempt to get a hold on her nerves and shaky voice before speaking again. "It's... internal." She informs, and the confirmation of what she herself had suspected, it is truly all Alex needs to hear in order to proceed.

Direct touching is, unfortunately, obviously, still not an option, and she can see the same mournful knowledge creasing Piper's young features, even turning the light onto those eyes a bit dimmer. But nothing holds back Alex from letting one hand wander lower, deliberately slowly, caressing with her fingertips the expanse of smooth, soft, tantalizingly warm skin and contrasting lightly toned muscles that she can feel underneath that first layer, reveling in each little shiver that her feather-light touch - holding the promise of fulfillment - elicits in the blonde. _Feeding_ that sense of anticipation that is already consuming her, before finally, sneaking that hand under the hem of her skirt, hiking up the inside of one of those wonderous stocking-clad thighs until she reaches the apex and the invitingly warm confines between those exquisitely long, toned legs. And in the moment she does, in the moment her hand molds to cup Piper's sex through the layer of stockings- pantyhose today, Alex immediately notices - and lace underwear, she truly can't contain the groan that rumbles deep down in her chest when she first feels how unbearably _hot_ the young businesswoman is right there.

All that heat scalds her skin, making her fingers itch, and leaving her even more disappointed over the fact that she can't do anything more than JUST cup that center in her palm and touch the desperately quivering woman on top of her through the thin layers keeping them apart.

But it takes more than just that flimsy barrier to beat Alex's determination.

The circumstances may not be favorable, sure, but they only motivate her more to adjust and find a rhythm and an angulation that will allow Piper to feel as much as possible. Although, she instantly notices that even just the touch alone, that first contact, the pressure on its own, seems to be enough to soothe some of that aching need that had Piper tremble on top of her till just a few moments ago.

Now the young woman, comforted by that something that is going to provide her with some friction, just limits herself to swallow down a series of whimpers, struggling to contain her greedy desire, and in front of that self-restraint, Alex can't help but smile, genuinely impressed, reaching out with her other hand to adjust that same stubborn, lovely lock of golden hair that always manages to slip from behind the shell of her ear and find its way on that young face.

And the gesture, for how soft and simple, appears to have a great effect on Piper, who instantly stops whimpering and... actually _lean_ against her hand, as if taking some kind of comfort even from _that_ innocent touch.

"Don't worry," Alex reassures when those wide blue pools find hers, so deep and dark with lust and so much desire that it must be unbearable, but it also urges her to put even more emphasis in her next words. "This time, I'm not going to make you beg me for it."

Teasing the poor young woman at this point would just be cruel.

And not in that wickedly-playful way. But just purely cruel. In a _sadistic_ way. And that is not only the kind of treatment Piper has definitely _not_ signed up for, but also, to be completely honest, when Alex sees the relief flash and smooth out those young features at that reassurance, and actually feels the blonde relax even further on top of her because of it, there is no way she would be able to delay the promise of release like she usually does and takes a fair amount of pleasure in doing.

The heat scalding her palm is coercing enough on its own. And paired with the knowledge of how Piper is most definitely going to react now that she is temporarily being left unrestrained, with no one there to pull at the reins in case she picked up the pace... well...

It's something Alex looks forward to finding out.

She responds to that sparkling, hopeful gaze by flashing one of her trademark smirks before simply ducking her head and, with no preamble, true to her words, she instantly attacks once again the nipple that she had released but a minute ago. Finding it still hot and slick with her saliva and just as delightfully hard. Growing even stiffer when she sucks it back between her lips. _Harshly._

 _With purpose._

More than enough to earn her a sharp cry of pleasure and the exquisite feeling of long fingers carding through her hair as that chest pushes greedily forward, because Piper, apparently (as expected) seems to have decided to take full advantage of the... generosity of the permission that Alex has just openly granted her; _an exception_ that she is going to need to remind the young eager blonde for what it is once this is over.

But for now, Alex not only allows that gesture, but she might actually _revel_ in the feeling of those blunt, manicured nails dig onto her scalp, cling onto her. With the kind of enthusiasm that makes her groan against that soft, incredibly responsive breast, and that also she herself conveys by urging the young woman on top of her closer as well, until there is nothing between them but slick heat and the intoxicating smell of Piper's arousal mingling with the scent of her skin. Usually a delicate fragrance with flowery notes, but that today is so much stronger.

Richer.

 _Headier._

Enhanced by that very same cocktail of hormones that have spiked up her arousal. Matching so perfectly all of that fervent passion that is making her hips roll forward with such unrestrained greediness against the hand rubbing full, precise circles over that flimsy barrier of expensive, tasteful lingerie.

Any other day, if the circumstances weren't so... singular, Alex would even tell her- no, she would _demand_ that she slowed down a bit. _Force her_ to do so by relenting herself first, but today... Maybe she doesn't want to put the young woman through any more suffering than the one she is already physiologically enduring, or maybe she simply wants to indulge herself now that such chance has fallen onto her lap so invitingly. Or maybe...

...Maybe the reason is another one altogether.

Which persistence becomes increasingly more difficult to keep backed against that corner in her mind when such sensation starts scraping and itching, so _oddly_ , against that same spot behind her sternum.

She increases her efforts in order to ignore it, focusing on the circling motion of her hand, on moving with Piper for once instead than _against_ her rhythm. Sucking harder on her breast, biting with more purpose instead of just nibbling teasingly at that stiffened nipple; basically granting her whatever her aching body currently needs and... even though this isn't about her, Alex still takes her own undeniable dose of pleasure in every single action.

The heat burning between Piper's legs and tickling her fingers grows incredibly tantalizing. Putting her resolution to a strain and making her waver, leaving her to wish that she could just... _tear open_ those expensive, decorated stockings, and pull the equally tasteful lace underwear (most likely displaying a matching design) that Alex knows she would find underneath, aside.

Any other day there is nothing that would stop her from doing it. Today, however, there is that one obvious reason why she refrains. _Barely._

She just limits herself to savor that compelling, sweetly burning warmth as it is. Having no trouble imagining how it would feel directly - how the arousal pooled there would coat her fingers, make them slippery, readying them for more, to get lower and just thrust inside, where she would be welcomed by a whole other kind of heat. So fluttery and clingy.

She could feed that thought to Piper, but she doesn't want to torment the young woman by teasing such images knowing well enough that that's all they are going to remain for tonight. And so, she just focuses on sucking and biting a bit harder, flicking her tongue faster, scraping her teeth against the areola and squeezing that responsive breast, although carefully, mindful of the tenderness of the swollen glands there, until Piper starts quivering all over.

The first tentative brush against her sex already had her breath stutter into that sob that made Alex feel a pang of sympathy for the poor young woman, but now that she is doing her best to apply as much pressure as possible, and is actually able _to feel_ the little bud of Piper's clit, hard and swollen, slip underneath her touch even under those layer of clothes, circling it with all her expertise, Piper's moans have grown louder and deeper. They have taken that guttural quality that is dripping with the same desire that keeps guiding her hips, rocking them forward with greediness, seeking for more friction even though the one that she is already receiving seems to be more than enough.

It really doesn't take Alex any more effort than that.

Worked up as she is, with her hormones running rampant through her entire system, lighting up every nerve ending and, as a result, making every inch of her so delightfully sensitive, there is no way that at this point Alex would ever be able to even ask that she holds back. Demand that she waits for her explicit command, because, in all honesty, she _does_ want to bring the young woman in her lap over that edge and feel her plummet down that precipice - only to watch her shatter with the force of the pleasure she is about to collide with - as much as Piper _needs_ to drown in such relief.

It's right there, so close, almost within her grasp.

And with just a couple of brushes from her fingers against the compelling heat of that throbbing core, paired with a few bites and suckling and squeezes on those exceptionally sensitive nipples and swollen breasts, Alex makes sure to give her that extra push that allows her to reach it.

The hand that she then presses on the small of her back, both to urge her closer and invite her to grind harder, is the last confirmation that she delivers, the wordless permission that the blonde needs.

Because even the stimulation, not so ideal coming through those few, thin - nonetheless hindering - layers of undergarments, has been more than enough to push Piper over that precarious edge she has been so bravely, impressively balancing for all this time.

And Alex is only a bit disappointed that she can't actually see the blonde throw her head back, expose the vulnerable column of her neck, see the veins there bulge, the tendons and muscle strain, just like she has gotten the chance to witness on more than a couple of occasions, as the young businesswoman on top of her goes impossibly rigid for that magnificent, breathless broken second before shattering, convulsing, arching her spine so delightfully and shouting her pleasure to the ceiling.

 **. . .**

In the moment the first wave of pleasure crashes onto her, dragging her adrift, there are as many thoughts and emotions colliding together within Piper as there are stars in the sky.

As it always happens even during the clearest, brisk nights though, a couple still manage to shine with a particular brightness through the smog of lust that is clouding her reason and overwhelming her senses.

The first one is relief.

So welcoming and rewarding in its comforting warmth.

And the other one, is pure, simple, immaculate gratefulness towards the woman that got mercy on her and allowed such relief to flow through her in all its scorchingly gratifying essence.

Disbelief and that same embarrassment that had emerged earlier might even blink in between those two mayor beacons, but with the pleasure winding through her system, they don't seem to be allowed to flash brightly enough to gain more attention. _Yet._

 _Thankfully._

And for how much Piper feels grateful towards the raven-haired woman and the generosity of this occasion - an indulgence that she has a feeling isn't going to re-occur anytime soon - she also wouldn't feel ashamed to openly admit that she has never been more glad for also those couple of tampax that she always keeps rolling around in her purse for emergencies, even though, she would have never imagined considering this kind of occasion an actual emergency.

It just... happened, as Alex oh so understandingly has pointed out herself earlier. And in front of such understanding, in front of her willingness to... provide some relief, whatever awkwardness and embarrassment that had been elicited at first, didn't get the chance to grow into that choking grasp between Piper's chest and throat, that it got soon enough erased by the desire quickly swelling within her, lower in her belly, and consuming anything else in its wake once it started pumping vigorously through her veins.

The memory is fresh and tangent.

It lingers on her body with her - already (unfortunately) - slowly fading orgasm.

Other lights start blinking onto the darkness that greets her once the fireworks begin to die down and she is getting brought back down to earth.

They guide her like little lighthouses. Showing her the way back through the waves of aftershock.

One of them in particular she recognizes with exceptional ease even in her dazed state. The very same one that she is getting quite familiar with.

Because she got the chance to see it and experience its profoundly comforting warmth in a couple of occasions already.

And that would be Alex's attentiveness and infinite consideration, which, as Piper first assumed and actually got the confirmation of, is a trait embedded onto the raven-haired woman's true core.

This is not her _"Mistress"_ role, which, today, has yet to make an appearance actually.

Such thoughtfulness can't be faked or emulated.

The genuineness in the tenderness of the gestures, from the smallest, most subtle ones - speak for themselves, and just as loudly in their subtlety as the offer Alex has presented her with - aware of her current situation and, despite it, showing no sign of revulsion at the thought in the slightest.

Even when she feels as awful as she usually does during her first day, bloated and heavy... just irritable and... well... generally _gross_ , Alex and all the attention that she has paid to her body in the past few minutes have made Piper her feel nothing less than... absolutely _beautiful._

So _deeply_ appreciated.

Almost _cherished_ even.

Every inch of her that those nimble hands have been able to reach, along with that just-as-wickedly-talented mouth of hers.

God... _That mouth_...

So hot and moist and _enveloping._

So sweetly welcoming.

The warmth of it still burns on her breasts, pulsing, throbbing, just like the overstimulated bud of her nipple and surrounding, sensitive areola.

But that's not the only part of her that is currently pulsing and lit up, flickering like a short circuit.

Initially, she thought that feeling that hand cup her through her stockings and panties would have made her stiffen up with a sense of... _reserve_ perhaps. Due to her current, less-than-ideal state. But... much to her quickly-fading embarrassment, it has been clear, since that very first touch, that her body knows no reserve at all when it's getting consumed by the passion that clouds everything else that isn't the feeling of Alex's sweet mouth on her nipple, of those warm hands holding her, one kneading the underside of a breast, the other resting on the small of her back, to hold her, to keep her close and prevent her from falling over even though she is still clinging, bracing herself onto the back of Alex's head, fingers laced into that impossibly soft, silky, proud dark mane.

And so, the moment that precedes her impending fall down onto that abyss, she doesn't even realizes if what pushes her over the edge, or rather what makes her trip, so unexpectedly over it, is the relentless feeling of that hot mouth, the teasing nibbles of those sharp teeth, the tongue lapping alternately on the peaks of her breasts, or the hand that has been drawing slow circles from above those two thin layers of her undergarments. _Or_...

Or even if it is just the sole knowledge that Alex has started all of this, took the initiative, so _willingly_ , despite the less-than-favorable circumstances, and seems to be enjoying herself considering the... _voracity_ that is keeping that talented, smart mouth of hers sealed around one of her breasts.

All Piper knows for sure is that getting her nipple sucked a little harder, and bit-on with less gentleness, and feeling the hand between her legs putting just that tiny bit of pressure on her core (even through those flimsy layers keeping them apart) overpowering the frustrating throb of her clit for the lack of a direct contact - her body, _that coil,_ already put on a strain for entire days, seeking a relief in the quiet cozy confines of her bedroom at night that has never come to her with the same sense of... satisfaction she has experienced under Alex's exquisitely rougher attentions - finally _snaps_ with another lap of that slippery tongue and a firm suckling of those lips laced devotedly around her. A sensation she may or may not feel the echo of how it would feel like experiencing it on her other, little, incredibly responsive bundle of nerves resting between her legs, feeling it throb in sympathy under Alex's touch.

Maybe it's that same image, and the way she feels that echo race straight to her clit in response to it.

Whatever it is, it's enough for Piper to tumble over that edge, throwing her head back, mouth falling open with a shout.

And it feels like that wonderful, glorious time a couple of weeks ago all over again.

When she first experienced pleasure in all its unexpectedly marvelous, crushing force and purest form.

She gets physically dragged down that precipice before she can even get a chance to brace herself for it.

Unexpectedly. And that's probably what makes it all so gloriously, insanely intense.

She honestly can't say whether it is the sucking and nibbling and pinching of Alex's mouth and tongue and teeth and lips and fingers to make her come, or if it is that other hand rubbing slow circle between her legs, or a combination or all of those things, or... even just feeling Alex so _devoted_ in bringing her pleasure despite her current conditions, as no one has ever shown her.

Like she herself has never felt comfortable enough in doing with someone.

It's another one of those aspects about all of this deal that should make her quite despondent. But the euphory of the orgasm winding through her system and sparking every inch of her to life like an electric shock doesn't allow her thoughts to go in any direction yet, least of all that rather _depressing_ direction regarding her personal life and the disappointment that anyone who has ever entered it in even the most remote romantic-like way has always brought.

There is no room for disappointment right now.

The only feeling she is enslaved to at this moment, is pleasure.

Blindingly bright and just as authentic in all its scorching warmth that scorches _anything else._

As always, Alex uses all of her expertise and... anatomical knowledge to prolong such bliss with tactical touches and nips and gentler sucks that not only allow Piper to her ride through the entirety of that powerful release, but that also aids her in a smoother descent.

Her head is swimming, her ears ringing, and once those waves turns into quieter ripples, the rest of her body is left tingling, buzzing all over.

She would have never imagined that feeling disoriented could be so wonderful. In between exhilaration and pure blissfulness.

Unable to get her inner compass to work though, as a collateral effect of such dizziness, she just surrenders to gravity. _Bonelessly._ Shivering. _Panting._

Occasionally twitching with those few remnants of aftershock still tickling down her extremities. When she can no longer hold herself up, she slumps forward, burying her face against that space where an elegant neck and a broad, tattooed shoulder meet, greeted by that sweet-tart essence of blackberries and orange blossoms filling her lungs at the first thirsty inhale, soothing even further her descent, taking comfort in it as much as she does with the solid body- with _Alex's_ stable, unyielding frame holding her up, and the enveloping warmth that emanates from her, which successfully dispells that first breeze of cool air that Piper feels brush against her naked back.

She might even hear a chuckle. Deep, velvety-soft despite its unmistakable sweetly husky, slightly raspy quality.

A sound that throws her back to a week ago and makes her stomach twist, erupting in flutters, in that odd way she has experienced before during an airplane travel when taking off, or hitting an air pocket that creates that sense of vacuum in her belly.

...or it could also be the fact that she is just being physically moved.

The solid frame she has crashed against twists on the side. The axis of her body shifting with it, and she only realizes about Alex's intention in laying her down onto the bed only when the cool silky touch of the bedsheets caress her skin.

She instantly misses the warmth of that body, but the contrasting coldness of the sheets serves as some kind of thermal shock that helps her to regain some resemblance of awareness.

More than enough to help her also find her voice and utter a few words. A warning of sorts.

"I don't think I can get into anything more than that for today," It's the first thing that she manages to voice out loud - or rather _slur_ would be a more appropriate term - in between a few gasps of air, followed by an unexpectedly humorous, "And for how incredible it was, I'm not sure I'm willing to pay all the two hundred bucks for this..."

That deep, husky chuckle rumbles again, and whether it got elicited by the weakly mumbled warning or her general state, Piper isn't sure yet. Of what she is sure though, is that she must be _a sight_ like this: laying curled up on her side, half-naked, completely disheveled after a mind-blowing orgasm that she has reached with _barely_ any touching...

Alex might as well be reveling a little in the result of her... work.

"I remind you that my services cost that much _by the hour_ , kid." And it's then that Piper's eyes flutter open, gaining focus and zeroing on that smile.

That teasing, trademark little smirk adorning those soft, rosy lips, but that looks unexpectedly... a bit softer. Just like the light of playfulness rippling onto those stunning aqua-green eyes gazing down at her. "This lasted maybe _three minutes,_ " Alex continues, teasingly. "But for this time I guess I could make you that ten dollars discount and say that it was on the house."

And there it is again.

Even though a smile curls on her lips upon hearing that teasing reply (as well as a lightly flustered blush may tinge her cheeks into a soft pink) Piper simply can't repress that... that _itching urge_ to swat her again.

And so she does. Lightly, half-heartedly, but still hard enough to earn her a soft _"ow"_ in between the new round of chuckles that the childish gesture earns her.

"You mock me." Piper accuses, but there is really no bite or defensiveness in her tone.

Maybe it is that calm, quiet post-coital state she is slipping in, wrapped in that lightness, made even more comfortable by the warm humor filling Alex's smooth, deep voice and laugh. But... Piper has noticed it even last time...

There is just this... _Thing_ that seems to be filling the space between them.

Born from that trust that they have already started to build during these first few sessions, and... _something else._

Something that makes her still racing heart skip a couple of beats when she finds herself plunging into the depths of those bright, sparkling, smiling emerald lakes.

"I would never." Alex answers in earnest.

The humor dissipates, but that softer smile still lingers. Both on hers and Alex's lips. Easy and light. It almost makes her forget where she is until the moment gets completely ruined when she finally regains the rest of her awareness - or rather, her aching body does so for her - and in the moment it does, her smile twists into a little grimace tinged with the pink of the embarrassment that is finally surfacing at the thought of what she has _actually_ just done...

"You feeling okay there?" Alex, as thoughtful and attentive as ever, asks her out of worry when she notices that abrupt shift in her expression.

Piper nods, and her lips twitch again into a smile - for how flustered - in front of that look of authentic concern.

"Yeah... Just..." She pauses, fruitlessly trying to get a hold of her embarrassment. "...a bit grossed out that I've actually... _you know_..." It's easy (and quite understandable she believes) to feel more than just a bit self-conscious now, with the haze of lust slowly lifting from her recovering body and no longer there to cloud her thoughts and judgment.

But the look she is met with in front of such admission is not one of agreement.

"I'm not." Alex simply states, shaking her head, not even trying for actual reassurance, but just so honestly, openly, matter-of-factly, that it only renders that simple response all the more comforting for Piper to hear.

"I'll admit that it's not in my favorite scenario," The raven-haired woman admits with obviousness. "Especially since I had one much more appealing already planned for today's session," She also confesses, secretly, tickling Piper's imagination with the flash of that mischievous little smirk, making her all the more mortified for this whole unexpectedly-early period ordeal. "But... if it worked in releasing some of the _pressure_ you had in there," Alex continues, adding that refreshing note of humor to cleanse (for her sake) the air from any trace of awkwardness before it can get a chance to settle. "Then there is no need for you to worry over such nonsense."

In front of all that understanding though, and met with no sign of reluctance, anywhere, in that response, Piper can't help but wonder if...

"Have you _ever_... I mean... With other clients," She hints, seeking for a confirmation that she wasn't the first one. "While they _were_...?"

And even this time the answer comes just as easily and with the same honesty as the previous one.

"Occasionally, yes," Alex nods in confirmation, and that is already enough to make Piper release the breath she didn't know she has been holding. "But never directly." She also adds, even if unnecessarily. Because of course not.

All of those safety and hygienic rules established by the club, written in bold in the contract, are there for a reason with no exception, especially if a client is in such conditions.

But the confirmation that the raven-haired woman has actually already... _gotten_ into such situation before, still surprises Piper. And that surprise must be showing on her face too, if Alex promptly reminds her that "As I said, there are many ways to explore someone's fantasies without even getting to the actual physical contact itself."

It's true.

Alex has explained that to her, and Piper is about to ask, curiously, which other methods are there that can be just as... satisfying, when, suddenly, she is caught off guard by a dull stab of pain in her lower belly that makes her hiss a soft groan and twist her face onto a small grimace.

"You in pain?" Alex - knowingly - doesn't hesitate to ask her and... yes, the note of worry is still all there in that voice. And the fact that the raven-haired woman actually shifts instinctively closer to her, looking as if she might reach out, paired with the matching sincere concern in that slightly furrowed look as those eyes scan her up and down, actually makes Piper smile.

"No, it's nothing..." She assures. "Just the same old annoying, first-day dull ache we never get used to." Which has probably already been rendered this numb by the endorphins that her orgasm has gotten in her bloodstream. Although, knowing of their temporary effect... "If I knew it was coming I would have packed some pills though, just in case."

Alex half smiles at her and half grimaces, sympathetically.

"You said you are a week early?" She asks then and, it is undoubtedly concern that thing that briefly knits together her eyebrow a bit tighter, deepening the little crease between them (the same one Piper may feel the urge to reach out and smooth with the pad of her thumb) showing that same authentic worry that she has already seen darkening those gorgeous features during her previous, slightly rougher session. And even if this time it's there just for a short second, it doesn't make it any less meaningful, though.

...and it certainly doesn't stop her heart from doing a weird little flip in her chest.

"Does it happen often?"

Piper has to shake off that... that _odd_ feeling in order to recollect her thought before answering.

"No. It's just... Work stuff." She summarizes, dismissingly. "Stress over a lot of things I'm not going to waste your time and bore you with." She reassures, flashing a small smile that is met with one from Alex which, this time, doesn't lack from that spice of soft mischief and teasing.

"I thought that one of the reasons why you sought my services was to _relieve stress._ " She points out before arching an inquiring eyebrow at her that is as playful as the smile adorning those soft, rosy lips of hers. "Am I to assume that I'm not fulfilling my duties as you expected?"

Piper can't help but laugh.

A real, full, deep laugh. And it is _riveting._

The situation should feel a bit absurd.

Laying half naked on this bed, with her _"Mistress"_ and having this back and forth of light bantering and teasing...

But there is no awkwardness, no tension making the air sharper, if anything it feels- _Alex_ makes her feel as comforted as Piper would have never thought it would be possible considering what has happened in the past several minutes.

"Oh believe me," She says once she regains her breath and sees the overly pleased, unabashed, absolutely delighted grin stretched on Alex's face. "You _are._ And quite distracting, too."

It definitely sounded a bit more playful in her mind, but when those words fall from her lips there is this... flirting _tilt_ in her tone that slips with an incredible ease along with them. And that is only reinforced by the way her gaze locks - maybe a bit more intensely - with Alex's.

But those eyes, God... those enchanting aquamarine eyes are just so magnetic and captivating... Especially when there is that glint of a smile shimmering on their surface and crinkling, _so beautifully,_ the corners, showing those few years of difference that Alex has over her.

The moment of silence that follows is as light and easy and... so pleasantly comfortable.

That's it at least until the light in those green eyes chances, right in the moment Alex blinks.

A flash of something undefined crosses her features, and just like that, that easy smile is gone as she looks away.

And just as suddenly, as soon as the warmth of that gaze leaves hers so abruptly, for how paradoxical, Piper feels left a bit exposed. And even if it's not in a physical sense, that sensation makes her shiver a bit, directly - reminding her of her nakedness and leaving her searching for her shirt, which, Alex (as attentive as always) promptly locates and retrieves.

"Here," The raven-haired woman whispers, laying it over her like a blanket and the gesture itself, for how simple and delicate, brings a new wave of warmth on its own.

Piper thanks her and the smile that inevitably shapes her lips once again in front of such gesture, might even widen a tiny bit when Alex wordlessly replies by flashing a smaller version of one of her own; one that, if Piper didn't know better, she would perhaps even associate such fleeting look with a hint of... shyness.

But even just the thought would be laughable. Utterly _ridiculous_ , considering the confidence that this woman is always oozing with.

Still, she can't quite _fully_ dismiss the look that she has seen crease those features just a few moments ago. Nor the feeling that it has stirred in her once that silent moment got broken and the feeling that was there, beginning to swell in the cavity of Piper's chest in front of that teasing, gorgeous smile, got replaced by something hollow and a bit cold. Like a breeze of disappointment over something she doesn't even know if it's tangent enough to have a name, or if it's just been... nothing at all. Just a trick played by her mind with the cocktail of hormones still buzzing through her body.

Either way, the sensation is a fleeting one. Because in the moment that green gaze returns to meet hers once again, a bit wider and... _sparkling_ in that way Piper is starting to associate with whenever the raven-haired woman comes up with some idea, that colder hollowness in her chest gets eclipsed by a glimmer of hope.

"You know," Alex starts, and yes, the tone, the inflection in her voice, in its deep, husky quality sounds already promising indeed, despite that uncharacteristic, flimsy note of tentativeness. "I actually meant to mention this to you, if not today maybe next time, but..." She pauses seeming to reconsider the thought for a moment before continuing. "The club- _Nicky and I_ , organize this thing, about every couple of months. It's quite a pretty big event around here actually." She anticipates, proudly, before getting to the real, quite thrilling revelation.

"We call it an _open-doors night_. And I wanted to ask you if you would be interested to come and, you know... take a look." She suggests, shrugging before regaining her cool demeanor back by adding a humorous, "It would be another chance to get you _more relaxed,_ too..."

But Piper is still trying to process the invite that has just been offered to her.

"An open-doors night?" She asks, heart stuttering in her chest for a couple of beats as she elaborates the thought for a few more moments and tries to contain that same mix of trepidation and excitement colliding together and fluttering in the pit of her stomach.

"You mean as _an_ -"

"No..." Alex interjects, having already caught her trail of thoughts pointing towards _that_ specific direction.

"No, it's not some kind of messy, disorganized orgy." She explains even though (under the initial assumption) a great part of Piper already knew as much.

Alex has _style._

She likes to plan things _thoroughly_.

Her club is a sophisticated, refined place. It is, in fact, the number one in the whole city for its women-exclusively policy, and she definitely puts a great deal of effort (as well as all of her exquisite taste) in everything she does.

"And it's not just about voyeurism either," Alex assures her. "But every member of the club, _if invited_ by those already participating, can take part to the... different kind of action taking place in the various rooms, which will all be set into a specific theme, each lead by one of my most experienced entertainers."

Piper swallows, thickly, but there seems to be no way of getting rid of the feeling of her heartbeat thrumming at the base of her throat, making it harder for her to speak. "So the club members would be able _to_..." Her voice trails off as her confirmation comes with the sight of Alex nodding knowingly at her.

"You can have the chance to interact, or just watch as a silent observant, yes."

A shiver crawls down Piper's spine. It's unexpectedly warm and it leaves a lingering prickling sensation on its path before flaring where it has settled, deep down in her belly.

"It..." She pauses, swallows some more, hoping that the excited beats of her heart aren't as audible on the outside as they are in her head, thrumming in her ears. "It sounds very _interesting_."

"Exceptionally intriguing" would be a much more appropriate considering the magnitude of such event, but... even though her excitement is there, making her pulse thrumming in her ears, there is still the not-so-dismissable matter of her being kind of an amateur in all of this. And so it's probably because of that electrifying excitement already shifting towards nervousness that she finds herself asking - or rather blurting out "So you'll accompany me then?"

She only realizes that she has actually said that however when she sees the surprise shape Alex's features.

Eyes growing a bit wider, lips parting, and a soft sound of surprise slipping past them.

"Oh... _well_..." And upon hearing that inflection, the kind that promises disappointment over something she had _no reason_ to fantasize about (and honestly doesn't even know why she did it) Piper barely manages to hold back the internal cringe from showing on her face, even if - as always - there is nothing she can do to hide the treacherous flush tinging her cheeks.

"The thing is that I'm usually handling the situation at the reception, you know," Alex tells her, sounding and looking so deeply apologetic and... quite a bit disappointed herself maybe.

Or perhaps that's just Piper's own projection.

"This kind of nights... It tends to get quite busy." The raven-haired woman informs her.

"Of course," Piper smiles, shaking her head dismissingly.

How silly of her to assume that Alex was to... what exactly?

 _Be her companion for the night?_

She frowns, inwardly. Because why did she expect that kind of offer to come along with the invitation (from the very same club-owner who, _obviously,_ is going to have to deal with other, much more important duties than to babysit her amateur ass during such an important, massive event) she truly doesn't know.

"I'm sorry, Alex." She apologizes, releasing a self-deprecating little chuckle out of the same spike of embarrassment that makes her divert her gaze and duck her head in an attempt to hide her blush, and because of it, missing the soft smile of pure endearment that tugs at Alex's lips in front of her flustered, babbling state.

"It's obvious you are going to be very busy. Please, forget I said anything, I just-" However, she doesn't get a chance to properly apologize, that Alex interrupts her with a very unexpected " _But..._ " which instantly makes Piper's head snap up, and meet the amused, little, gorgeous smile shaping the raven-haired woman's lips, and that, once again, succeeds in filling Piper's chest with that same warm flicker of hope; the kind that is starting to feel a bit dangerous. Especially considering how much close to her heart that little flame keeps flaring up...

"...if you feel uncertain about roaming around on your own," Alex hypnotizes. "I guess there would be no harm if for an hour I'd leave someone else in my staff to take care of the reception and be your tour guide. Show you how things work during this very special event."

Not only the offer is immensely generous, but also just as thoughtful. The fact that Alex is disposed to dismiss some of her duties in order to... introduce her to the whole event...

Honestly, Piper can't even pretend to reconsider and go for all of that usual dance of pretended "Oh you don't have to, _really_ " because Alex not only would spot the lie immediately and, as a result, Piper would only become the target for some well-earned teasing, but also, most importantly, the raven-haired woman wouldn't have told her out of her own volition that she is disposed to change her plans, even if for just an hour or so, if she _truly_ didn't _mean it._

And it's that sincerity, the same one that she finds in those green eyes, so clear and open, showing no sign of doubt or guilt - over that sense of duty being pushed (even if just temporarily) aside - to contaminate that pure sentiment, that eventually, after a few more seconds spent willing her heartbeats to return to a more acceptable rhythm, Piper finally speaks, and in front of that willingness the answer that falls from her lips in a quiet murmur can't be anything other than a grateful "I would really like that" which - even if for some miracle she manages to speak clearly despite the insistent, distracting jolts that her heart is currently doing - such response gets still delivered with a flustered little smile.

And if she had any flimsy doubt left about the sincerity of Alex's invite, it is taken away and replaced by that same fluttery-like feeling erupting in that space between her stomach and chest as soon as she sees the grin that stretches on the raven-haired woman's lips, wide enough to show a sharp flash of white teeth.

"Great. It's settled then," Alex states, those stunning green eyes of hers sparkling with the same intensity of that full, gorgeous smile.

"I'll send you an email with all the details about the event." She informs."As you can imagine there is going to be a specific dress code. Although..." And it's right here, as that exquisitely deep voice trails off, that Alex's smile twists, slowly, into one of those smirks, just as that piercing gaze travels further down her body, taking in every little detail of her current appearance (seeming to take a certain amount of... pride in her disheveled look) and general attire, showing all of her appreciation with a subtle, softly hummed sigh.

"I hardly feel the need to inform you about that, since I already know you won't have any problem following those instructions."

A shiver races through Piper's body.

It is something she still hasn't gotten used to.

 _That piercing, scorching gaze._ And the way Alex appraises her with it.

Before meeting the raven-haired woman and seeing the way she looks at her in these moments, with all of that unabashed, raw - but never vulgar - appreciation, she would have never thought that a look could be enough to light up that spark of desire inside of her and leave her tingling so pleasantly all over.

And right now, with that other electric current zipping through her body at the prospect of this... intriguing event, she actually feels lightheaded.

The idea of actually taking part in it, both thrills her and renders her quite jittery.

But with Alex there to guide her, as she has done so far, with patience and all of her thoughtfulness... She knows that she has nothing to feel nervous about.

Maybe she could even take the chance to dress up with exceptional care and start responding back to some of Alex's teasing, knowing how magnificently the raven-haired woman tends to react in front of a pair of high heels and fine stockings.

"Send them to me anyway." Piper requests then, encouraged by that... wicked little thought that makes her heart pump that tiny bit faster. Her voice is barely above a husky breath, dropped onto that foreign deeper tone that she barely recognizes but matches the spark of mischief that has been ignited inside of her and that also feeds that urge to tease with a suggestive "I wouldn't want to get _punished_ for showing up dressed... _inappropriately._ "

It may even have sounded "suggestive", vaguely evocative, _in her head._ But once it comes out, she almost startles herself, because that note that has seeped in that phrase, sounded definitely like that same drop of flirting that has slipped a minute ago.

And it's too late to backtrack then. She knows as much when the response that she receives from Alex is one of those full, criminally beautiful smirks (tinged with a sprinkle of surprise by such sassiness) that reaches her eyes and make them shine like pure emeralds.

"I think we both know that that's not true." She points out, reaching out with one hand to land a light smack on her backside.

The unexpected gesture makes Piper gasp.

The touch, for how light, still flares in her sensory memory. And as all of those delightful feelings about that specific encounter emerge with all their vivid, colorful details, as bright as the smiling pools of green she has just fallen into, she thinks that Alex couldn't be more _right_ about that.

* * *

 **I can imagine that some of you were left cringing a bit over the whole "doing-stuff-while-on-period" thing. I know... It's definitely not an ideal situation, but... when Alex Vause offers to take care of some** _ **tension,**_ **well... it's not the kind of offer that can be just turned down without a second thought. And definitely not from a particularly horny Piper ;) Also, as I said, even if there was some smut in here, my main attention in this chapter was on these two and that** _ **thing**_ **it is slowly unfurling between them :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Hi everyone!

I'm back with a new chapter for you guys! And I'm not going to say a word about it or even keep you from it :P I'm just gonna say a quick thank you, to all of you for all of the wonderfully flattering comments that you left about the previous chapter. I wasn't sure how it would have been received given the whole... situation I had set, but I'm so very glad you have liked it :D So thank you so much for all of your kind words! :D Now here you go with the new chapter. As I said, I'm not going to anticipate anything this time ;) Just...

Enjoy

* * *

It is... a bit _unusual_ for her.

Getting into this kind of preparations.

Selecting a dress, putting that tiny bit more of effort in her make up. Hell, even fixing her _hair_.

What strikes her as odd though, since she is not accustomed to _any_ of this, is that there are none of the fluttering nerves that she had anticipated and prepared to feel prickling at her skin, making her jittery.

In fact, much to her own surprise, she feels unexpectedly calm. Serene even.

It is, after all, a normal night like many, she reasons. Even if the whole "arrangement" and "preparations" thing makes it hard for her not to think about this specific night as a... date, perhaps.

Although, she guesses that it is, in a way. Especially considering how the invitation has been presented to her, with that soft hint of tentativeness that was impossible not to notice under that ever-present layer of confidence.

The concept might as well be completely foreign for her.

But she dismisses that thought and whatever other things might be expected from her during this... _event._ Sticking to those few main rules she knows the existence of.

But besides those, despite the special circumstances, she doesn't plan on doing anything other than just act as her every-day, normal self. And it's with that exact thought that, after taking another glance at the mirror, looking quite satisfied with the result of that additional measure of attention she has inevitably put while getting ready, she puts on her coat, leaves her loft and ventures out, carrying that same, odd, but definitely comforting calm with her. Which she welcomes and is definitely glad for its company compared to the annoying nervousness she had first felt twisting her stomach into tight knots at the prospect of this evening.

She reaches her destination in a relatively quick, smooth drive, and as soon as she steps inside the place, even in the crowd already gathered and filling the space, she spots her easily.

And it couldn't really be any other way.

Her fashion sense has never left any doubt.

But tonight...

Tonight, she truly must admit it.

Sylvia looks simply stunning.

That fiery red hair fixed into soft, loose waves cascading over her naked shoulders and offering that appealing contrast with her fair complexion and the forest green dress she has chosen to wear, hugging all of her curves in an exceptionally flattering way that doesn't leave any of her assets in the shadow.

Alex steps further into the restaurant, smoothly slipping in between the chatting patrons and making her way closer to the bar where the redhead is sitting at the counter, sipping a glass of red wine.

She is almost there when, as if sensing her gaze, or, at the very least, sensing to be _observed_ , Sylvia turns around. And in the moment Alex gets spotted back, she watches as a wide grin stretches instantly on the redhead's lips with recognition.

Those gray eyes light up, sparkling, glittering like silver as she elegantly steps down from the stool and pushes herself away from the counter, turning on her side to properly greet her, and being just as unabashed about the appreciation for Alex's own choice of attire given the way that bright gray gaze appraises her, scanning her up and down with a certain finesse.

"I'm not sure if this is going to sound as truthful as I mean it considering the fact that I _know_ what you are hiding under all of _that_ ," Sylvia warns her, gesturing to the fitting black dress that she is wearing under her coat. "But you look..." Her voice trails off, but she doesn't even need to complete her phrase and come up with a specific adjective. That appreciating gray gaze speaks loudly enough by itself.

"Thanks," Alex smiles, accepting the compliment, and returning it just as sincerely. "You look... very beautiful, too."

And for how simple, in its honesty, the compliment seems to affect Sylvia quite a bit.

Or maybe it's the way Alex's gaze... lingers on the redhead's deep (although not excessively or too provocative) cleavage, what makes Sylvia's smile grow bigger, taking that _tilt_ that also matches the new sparkle lighting up into those silver eyes.

"Oh well, I do have to keep up with you, don't I?" She flirts, giving her another, much slower, and thorough once over.

Alex chuckles, tips her head, adjusts her glasses and fixes the strands of hair on the side of her face, brushing them slightly aside with her index finger, more out of that nervous habit than because they were tickling at her cheeks, but when she glances up again, the smile on Sylvia's lips - as if having sensed that brief moment of uneasiness - has turned... a bit softer. Just like the light of mischief that was there, glittering in her eyes but a few moments ago.

"Come," The redhead invites her, gesturing to the bar. "Our table isn't ready yet, but it's going to be in about ten minutes," She informs as Alex follows her. "In the meantime, as you can see, I got us two seats. And I've also ordered you... a _Black Bush_."

It's hard for Alex to hold back a chuckle then - a sincerely humorous one this time, and not like her previous one laced with that undertone of nervousness - upon hearing _that._ Simply surrendering to it when Sylvia reinforces that quip by adding a teasing, "I got it _straight_ too, since, paradoxically, that's how I know it's _the only way_ you like it."

"Are you gonna be like this for the entire night?" Alex asks her, eyes slightly narrowed with playfulness and humor as she reaches for the tumbler of freshly poured whiskey with the unfortunate name sitting on the counter beside Sylvia's own glass of red wine.

"That depends on the opportunities I'm presented with," Sylvia wittily replies as her slender hand reaches for her glass, picking it up elegantly and expertly from the stem around the base without making it sway in the slightest. "But I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

"Well..." Alex sighs, glancing down at the rich amber liquid sloshing sensually in her glass with the circular, swirling movement of her hand before meeting once again that... _intriguing_ silver gaze. "So far I can tell that you are trying to get me drunk before the evening can even start."

Sylvia's smirk shifts as she tugs her lips on one side of her mouth, pensively.

"More like... trying to _spoil_ you and get you to loosen up during your night off." She corrects, and she actually looks quite sincere in that reply. Even more so when she continues with an added note of seriousness. "I know that you tend to get a bit anxious and restless when you are not at the club to supervise the situation." The redhead observes, flashing her a knowingly little smile filled with understanding. "But you know that Nicole, under all of her messy appearance and pungent humor and shameless flirting is a professional, and more than capable of handling pretty much any situation even without you there."

 _Nicky..._ At the mention of her best friend and business partner, Alex can't help but smile. Unable not to picture how she would have reacted if she got the chance to see Sylvia dressed up like she is tonight...

Because, considering the way her usually confident, cocky friend tends to lose her cool around the redhead, Alex can perfectly imagine how her mouth would have fallen open as soon as she stepped foot into the restaurant and laid eyes on her.

By now she would probably still be stumbling over her own feet to pick up her jaw from the floor.

The breathed little puff of air that Alex releases from her nose as such image flashes in her mind, is not actually a laugh. She isn't internally laughing about her best friend's inability to keep any resemblance of composure whenever she finds herself in the same room as the cheeky redhead, but it a behavior that sure is kind of... _endearing._

Also, considering what Sylvia just said about her...

"She would be flattered to hear someone speak so highly of her professionalism." Alex comments, unable not to frown and then grimace, even if just a little, at that adjective. One that even though it's adequate and it matches her partner's serious, _work-_ persona, it's not one of the first words that she would use to describe her.

"Or probably laugh her ass off." She adds, because that one is a reaction that she can picture _far_ more easily.

 _Although..._

If Sylvia were the one to actually make such compliment _directly_ at her... Who knows?

"Maybe she would even blush."

And this time it is Sylvia's turn to chuckle, finding such seemingly absurd image oddly endearing herself.

"Well," And just like that, as the humor dissipates, and those silver eyes return to her, that smile too turns a bit more... seductive. "For tonight, I'm going to consider myself satisfied if I'll be able to elicit such reaction from her taller business partner."

"You'll have to try very hard I'm afraid." Alex promptly warns her, although she already knows that such warning won't do anything to discourage the redhead from trying. And she is proven immediately right about that when she sees the pleased smirk that tugs at the corner of Sylvia's lipsticked mouth upon hearing what (for her) might as well be an intriguing challenge.

"I know you are quite a hard one to crack, Alex." She acknowledges. "But the night is still young. And with the aid of a couple of glasses, I'm confident I might get a chance." She states, hopefully. Concluding with a mischievous, charming little wink.

Alex can't deny it.

She is attracted by that confidence.

It's one of the first things she has felt a bit of a pull towards Sylvia when they first met. As well as that layer of sassiness, and... of course, the two soft twin mounds peeking from the neckline of her tasteful dress.

"Cheers?" Sylvia asks - diverting her attention from where it had dropped once again between that inviting _valley_ \- and it sounds like she is agreeing to set that _challenge_ into a bet, one that she is already winning considering how pleased she looks over the fact of having just caught her staring (again) at her most generous... assets, before lifting her glass of wine and tilting it towards her.

Keeping her eyes locked with those glittering silver ones, Alex tips and clicks her glass with the smirking redhead's.

"Cheers."

 **. . .**

If there was even some minimal trace of the anxiety that Alex has felt flare up a bit in her stomach once she has stepped foot into the restaurant, Sylvia has done an excellent job throughout the evening to extinguish it and make her feel comfortable.

She may not be used to any of this. Didn't even know exactly what to expect from the evening out actually. What was expected from _her._

But Sylvia's company, even somewhere public - which is not the way Alex has gotten to enjoy it the most - still feels... nice.

Light.

Just... pleasant.

And, generally, she feels like the evening is going well.

Unexpectedly so.

But that's just based on whatever idea, whatever preconception her nervous self-had about this night out.

Sylvia keeps her word and flirts with her for the entire evening whenever she gets an entry.

Subtly and cleverly and cheeky. As it is her usual.

And Alex enjoys it.

She finds a familiarity in all the innuendos - from the most humorous one to those that are a bit more explicit, but that always, somehow, still manage to remain veiled - that keeps her focused on the challenge that they had silently agreed on earlier at the bar.

The fifteen minutes spent there sipping their drinks while waiting for their table to free, have turned out to be totally worth it.

The food is great.

And dinner is, altogether, nice.

More than enough to turn easily into dessert.

And then dessert into coffee.

And coffee into another drink that gets Sylvia that tiny bit breezier and bolder enough to start playing games under the table with her foot.

It caresses the inside of Alex's calf, grazing the side of her knee and barely brushing the first couple of inches of the inside of her thigh, but never venturing any further up than that.

Sylvia plays the game quite expertly.

Her neutral expression and the way she keeps conversing as if nothing is currently going on under the table would never draw suspicions from anyone. Not even if they were left more exposed in the main room and not backed into this cozy, softly lit, private little corner.

But despite the casualness of the conversation, Alex can't not notice the way that glint of mischief is starting to melt the stone gray of those eyes into something darker. Like the sky of a stormy sea.

She recognizes that look.

And even though she isn't one who gets a sense of reserve for this kind of things (for this... very light, subtly public level of kinkiness) she certainly is glad that they got a table on this relatively shadowed corner that grants a little more of privacy respect the rest of the diners scattered more openly in the main dining room, as the redhead keeps up with that tactic. Deliberately teasing. Poking at the beast that she knows Alex is hiding, containing within her.

Probably hoping to see a glimpse of its ferocity. _Later._

There isn't much convincing to be made when Sylvia invites her over to her place.

After all, this is the part Alex is most familiar with. And she is definitely in the mood tonight for something that would maybe give her the chance to... unchain that primal part of herself and put some of her vigorous stamina to work.

There has been this weird feeling hunting her for a couple of days now.

Making her feel a bit twitchy.

Charged with something electrical that has been buzzing inside her and tingling on her skin, almost itching. As if loaded with much more energy that she needs. Or that she got _to use_ and properly _unleash_ , maybe.

And if Sylvia has actually noticed such... tension, in her, Alex wouldn't be at all surprised.

Either way she doesn't dwell much on it - or even has the chance to reason on the possible cause that got her to experience such a feeling in the first place - that Sylvia offers her the perfect opportunity to get rid of some of that excess of energy when, after leaving the restaurant and during the ride in the elevator up to her floor of her apartment building nearby, the redhead leans onto her and captures her lips with her own. Kissing her for the whole, slow ascent.

It may start gentle, but it definitely doesn't last that way for more than the first few seconds of adjustment.

Soon enough it grows hard and deep.

All tongue and nibbling teeth that leave no doubts about the nature of the invitation.

Alex _groans_ into it, welcoming the passionate roughness that she finds in it, and meeting it with as much of her own.

The flavors that she finds on Sylvia's lips is the one of the sweetness of the chocolate and raspberry mousse she had for dessert, mingled with that bitter aftertaste of coffee, all smoothly balanced by the light note of alcohol of the cognac she has sipped and that lingers vaguely in her breath. But, most of all, that kiss and the throaty moans, and the hands that pull her closer, and the hips grinding against hers... To Alex, It all tastes of lust. In its rawest form.

They tumble out of the elevator as soon as it reaches the right floor and the doors open, and it is a good thing that Sylvia's apartment is the next one right in front of it, keeping them from having to stumble through the entire length of the hallway.

This way Alex can just back her against the wall, spinning her around on her front and pin her there. Hearing the gasped moan of approval that slips from the redhead's lips in the moment she hits the wall and her hand makes its way under the hem of that soft, forest-green dress.

She buries her nose on the back of the woman's neck, inhaling deeply to try to calm the beast that has started pacing restlessly inside her and... As she does so, something strikes her instantly as odd.

The scent that she finds there catches her off guard.

It's... different.

From what though, Alex can't really say.

But it's almost like she expected to smell... _something else._

Something with a slightly sweeter, smoother, citrus-like base.

Something that would have enveloped more gently only to come to a startling aromatic finish.

 _"I wouldn't want you to think of this as a complaint,"_ The voice, slightly labored, a bit husky with desire, rings out from those... thoughts. Which are resembling more those of a memory, a deja-vu.

Or maybe Alex's tolerance for alcohol has just gotten suddenly, incredibly, startlingly low.

"...But I intended to get us _inside_ first," Sylvia tells her, and it is only then that Alex manages to blink back into focus, where she finds herself pressing Sylvia against the wall, beside her apartment door, her hand between her thighs, inching closer to the tantalizing heat she can feel coming from the apex.

"What?" Alex still asks her, feeling so oddly disoriented.

"You know," The redhead smirks, turning around to properly face her. "To not scandalize the neighbors." She suggests glancing around at the - luckily - empty hallway for good measures, and making sure no one is around.

But Alex still has to shake off that _feeling._ That half-formed, blurred thought that was starting to take consistency in the back of her mind upon inhaling Sylvia's scent. And then, pretend that she hasn't been taken miles away - even if just for a brief moment - by the faint memory of a whole other fragrance that she can't quite place.

Recollecting her usual cool demeanor and blinking the distance in her look away before the redhead can notice it.

"Are you feeling shy all of a sudden?" Alex asks her, skeptically, but mostly teasing, because it helps her finding herself more easily. Or at least give her the temporary impression to. "Because barely half an hour ago you looked ready to do me under the table in front of the whole restaurant."

Sylvia grins, guilty, yet so unabashed. Almost looking proud even, for taking her flirting _that far_ somewhere so public.

"Tempting isn't it? But that's a fantasy I'm going to surprise you with another time." She promises. "What I had in mind for tonight requires more privacy and... a little preparation first. You see, there is this new little bottle I have been waiting for the right occasion to crack..."

"Of what?" Alex inquires, daring to flash a smirk now that she feels like she has regained most of her composure back. "Some other aged whiskey with an unfortunate, suggestive name?" She teases.

Sylvia smirks right back at her, but shakes her head in negative.

"No, it's not _that kind_ of bottle." She answers with the same secrecy that is making her eyes sparkle so intriguingly. "But... combined with your expertise, it will surely quench the kind of _thirst_ I have."

The reply on its own is startlingly clear.

But when Sylvia actually accompanies it by reaching out and grabbing her hand, bringing it to her own backside and giving a suggestive squeeze, there is _no way_ for Alex to _misinterpret_ the obvious implication behind such an obvious gesture.

The beast that has been pacing inside her yanks harder at its restraints. Growling.

 _Snarling._

And she _groans_ with it.

Deep and guttural.

"Jesus Christ, _Sylvia..._ "

The redhead hums, looking so deeply pleased about having caught her by surprise.

"Although... I think I'm going to need to sedate you a bit first. You feel much more _wired_ than usual." Sylvia observes, and Alex _knew_ that she was right about giving off that... vibe.

About showing that tension she has been feeling tingling on her fingertips, in such an... uncharacteristically open way.

"But don't worry. Because I think I know how to take care of that before we can get into something kinkier." The redhead suggests, leaning in to practically breathe those sultry words into her ear before offering quite a thorough example of how, exactly, she intends to relieve her from some of that tension, tracing the shell of her ear with the tip of her tongue oh so suggestively before sucking her lobe between her lips. _Flicking_ her tongue across it in a way that makes Alex's core clench on itself and the little bundle of nerves nestled between her folds grow harder and _throb_ with jealousy.

Sylvia should know better than to poke at that caged beast.

She knows the risks of being so reckless with it.

But she does so deliberately to see it break free.

Taking quite a certain amount of pleasure and _pride_ in witnessing that sight unfolds before her.

"Does my offer tempt you?" She asks with that tilt in her voice and that light frown on her face that is all pretended innocence and certainly doesn't mask the smirk that Alex can already see (for how subtle and contained) starting to tug quite smugly at those red lips.

"I believe you can imagine that." Alex growls in reply, growing considerably more impatient by the second.

Sylvia wins. Since this is exactly the kind of reaction that she has no doubt been trying to elicit during this past couple of minutes. Hell... for _the whole_ night.

And Alex has the confirmation that this is something she was actually trying to accomplish since the beginning when that complacent smile on Sylvia's face widens, finally showing up openly, fully.

A smile which sudden, unexpected tentativeness doesn't pass unnoticed though.

Faltering just as unexpectedly in its confidence.

"So... Will you stay the night then?" The redhead asks her, and Alex's eyebrows twitch into a light frown that creases even further the little space between them upon hearing such an odd question, while her lips curl into an equally puzzled half-smile.

"It sure seems like this compelling plan you have will require it." She answers, perplexed.

A quiet, breathed little chuckle escapes from Sylvia's lips, and Alex can't help but notice how that note of tentativeness, of... something resembling a spike of nervousness, is audibly there, too.

"Yes," The redhead answers then. "But that's not what I meant." And here, with that answer, Sylvia's whole demeanor changes. Shifting from flirty and provocative into this... this _other version_ that Alex is pretty sure she has never seen a glimpse of before. Not so openly.

"I just want to know if you intended to _stay_ this time? Sleep here, I mean. Not just... _go,_ after we..." Sylvia's smooth, uncharacteristically vulnerable voice trails off then, but there is no need for her to finish that sentence. Alex already had her own idea about what the redhead is exactly asking her.

 _Sleepovers._

The whole "morning after" deal.

She doesn't do _that._

It would be far too intimate and...

And she simply isn't used to this level of intimacy.

She isn't sure she would be able to handle the situation for... a lot of reasons she tries not to dwell much into.

 _But..._

Tonight with Sylvia was good.

More than just good actually.

There is no denying that.

The redhead has made her feel comfortable. Alex has enjoyed the flirting, her company in general.

 _And maybe..._

Maybe that's enough.

Maybe it is the first step towards that unexplored direction.

This thing they had stepped into has started very casually, but she said that she would at least _try_ if things started to look... promising.

Sylvia is looking at her silently, patiently. But clearly, for how nonchalant she tries to appear, she is visibly holding her breath. Those silver eyes of hers are appraising her with a bit of expectation and that same desire shimmering, rippling on the surface.

"Yes," Is how Alex answers at last. Her voice sounding strong in its quietness and unwavering despite the feeling that is already starting to churn in her stomach at the thought. "I will stay the night."

The smile- no, _the grin,_ that she receives back from Sylvia upon hearing that answer, is full and bright and... it's quite a beautiful smile on her.

It compliments her already attractive features. And when the enthusiastic redhead uses the arms wrapped around her shoulders to pull her closer and leans in to press her lips against hers, even that kiss - Alex notices - holds the same... unexpected _softness._

The same hint of foreign vulnerability that was there in her look when she first asked that question with such tentativeness. So very similar to the way she has asked her about spending this night out, together.

The kiss is considerably less passionate than it was before.

Much slower and... placid.

She _barely_ recognizes Sylvia in it.

And even though Alex returns it, trying to adapt to this softer, unfamiliar, languid version, that feeling from before represents.

Rising from the pit of her stomach.

 _Itching_ from behind her sternum.

While a distant, hazy murmur buzzes and pokes at the edges of her mind.

The sensation is so distracting that she finds herself unable to return the kiss in the same way, or (even if Sylvia doesn't seem to notice it) just as... sincerely.

But she still deepens it.

Smothering down that feeling until the passion resurfaces again and the fumes of lust that quickly lift in between harsher nibbles and grinding hips, get thick enough to cloud all of her thoughts.

And with them, also her doubts.

 **. . .**

"You know, when you asked me if I wanted to spend some time together this evening, I thought you meant going out for happy hour, maybe even dinner, hell, I was prepared to go to a bar and see you pick up a stranger. But if I knew that _this_ is how you wanted to spend the night, then I would have probably stayed home to be ignored by my drunk of a husband and watch my child sleep instead of paying the sitter to do that."

Piper feels a pang of compassion for her best friend upon hearing that things at home are still not good at all apparently, but she decides that the best way to distract Polly from those troubling thoughts, is to involve her in what she is currently doing.

"Oh come on Pol, don't you miss this?" She asks, briefly glancing up at her best friend from the other side of the counter, smiling excitedly as she carries the basin of flowers that she has left immersed into a mix of water and oil for two days, over to the kitchen sink.

"What?" Her best friend asks her, sighing and sounding right in between bored and exasperated as she sorts through several vials and jars and various other little bottles of their most basic, natural products sitting ordinately on the counter. "Old chemistry back in high school?"

"This is _hardly_ chemistry." Piper retorts. "And no, I meant getting to cook together what we didn't know at the time was going to be our first launch product." She answers, a bit distractedly though as she sets another large, empty basin in the sink and starts looking around and rummaging into her rarely-opened kitchen drawers for the items she needs. Or one she can use as a substitute at the very least. Like a kitchen towel made of a fine, thin weave.

She is starting to think that maybe she should have done all of this procedure at the lab back in their building, which, even though it is definitely a small one, mostly used for some basic testing, it is definitely much more furnished than the kitchen she almost never uses. But Piper doesn't allow the frustration about not finding what she needs to tamper with her bubbling excitement. Which spikes up once again when she locates a strainer large enough for the use she has to do with it, glancing up in time, victoriously, only to see the flash of melancholy cross her best friend's features for that latest, still unanswered question.

Polly meets her gaze, releasing a groan and rolling her eyes. "Fine, I do." She admits, but Piper has the impression that she might do so only because she has actually caught that look on her face, or else her friend might have even lied.

"Staying behind a desk all day is less exciting than knowing you could blow us all up at any minute because you decided to mix something you weren't supposed to."

" _That_ only happened _once._ It was accidental." Piper protests defensively, recalling the accident back in their chemistry class where she made a painfully embarrassing amateur mistake by mixing two solutions she didn't mean to. "And you know we aren't using any chemicals in here. Just..." She shakes her head, dismissing the whole episode and waving her over, gesturing to the large, heavy basin and only now considering if it wouldn't have been a better idea to actually move to the bathroom and into her bathtub for this to not get oil possibly on every surface of her kitchen. The room that they use as a laboratory in the basement of their building would have been an even better option, furnished as it is, complete with all the necessary beakers, columns, flasks, condensers, extractors, and all the chemistry glassware, she would have had the chance of using steam distillation instead of this method, but... there is just something in doing the whole procedure by herself, homemade, with just a few basic items, just like she used to do back in college, that fills her with a sense of even greater satisfaction.

"Help me drain this." She asks her friend at last, because now it's too late to change idea, and she has no intention of making it all the way down the hallway and risk spilling a drop of this precious essence she has spent days making.

With another sigh, one that sounds like defeat and indulgence, Polly rounds the kitchen island and comes to assist her at the sink.

"So... helichrysum, huh?" Polly observes, helping her pick up the basin and glancing inside it at the colorful petals submerged into the mixture of oil and water. "And... chamomile?"

Piper hums and nods in confirmation. "And natural almond oil," She also adds, although unnecessarily, as, with her best friend's help, she proceeds to carefully tip the basin on one side to decant the content, filtering the minced flowers and oil through the strainer and the thin towel cloth she has also found in a drawer, looking quite adapt for this purpose. "I cooked it for a few hours last night, too." She informs her friend. "But this is just a preliminary fragrance test to find out if I have dosed the flowers and oil right. Hopefully, it won't be too strong."

"Well... it seems like you did so just perfectly." Polly points out inhaling deeply and humming with approval at the aromatic, lightly balsamic scent that lifts in the air during the procedure.

"It smells amazing." She comments. "But beside this lovely fragrance you made, what do you intend to use as the actual lubricating agent for the other project you got over there?" Her best friend asks her then, tilting her head to the other large bowl resting under her kitchen island, covered by the wooden board that she has used and improvised as a lid, and containing calendula flowers.

Piper doesn't certainly miss the way Polly wiggles her eyebrows (quite suggestively) at her. Or the equally playful smile stretching mischievously on her lips.

And she is honestly starting to think that maybe she shouldn't have revealed to her friend about that _other_ project just yet, aware of the teasing that would have come even though this is actually, basically... _work stuff._

"I- _I_..." She clears her throat, instinctively (and quite fruitlessly) fighting against the heat can she can feel creeping onto her neck once the... subject gets brought up. "I was thinking either aloe vera or virgin coconut oil." She answers forcing some of that professionalism she always keeps at work but that never manages to stick for long when her best friend is the only one around. "Maybe both. I'll have to... _test_ them, _more extensively_ though, to... uhm," She pauses as that warm flush reaches her cheekbones. "- find out which one offers the smoother _friction_ , I guess."

Even if she doesn't glance up at Polly, keeping her eyes on her work, making sure that the essential oil doesn't spill around as she scrapes the edges of the basing with the help of a spatula, she can sense her look and the smile that is most definitely widening on her best friend's lips at that admission.

"Well, I bet that _your Mistress_ would be willing to help you with that _more extensive_ testing part." She teases, before leaning in and adding, in a whisper, as if they weren't there, completely _alone_ in her empty loft. "Maybe in an _unconventional way,_ too."

Piper startles so hard upon hearing that comment that she almost drops the still half-filled basin. The water and oil remaining in it sloshed dangerously along the edges as the blush that was already there tinging her cheeks, flares brightly all over her face, reaching the tip of her ears and making them burn.

" _Polly!_ " She is so taken aback that she honestly can't help but gape, wide-eyed. Utterly _stunned._

"What? Oh, don't look at me like that. As if the thought has _never_ crossed that kinky mind of yours before. _Pff, please_." Her friend even _snorts_ but then... her voice grows a bit softer, and her tone loses its humorous, teasing edge, probably after having noticed how flustered she has gotten.

"There is no need to act so shocked, baby girl," Polly reassures her. "After all, _you_ are the one who, out of her own volition, has gotten involved in all of this... _kinkiness_ in the first place." She finishes with a vague gesture of her hand up and down her figure but, this time, the look on her face is not one of judgment and... Even though it is... refreshing seeing her best friend's new, much more open-minded approach about her choice for joining the sex club (so much less critical than how she had reacted - out of what Piper now knows has been concern - the first time the subject came up) she is still quite taken aback by such explicitness, trying to recover at the clear implication behind Polly's very suggestive image that has made her heart flip in her chest before jolting right in her throat, where she can still feel it thrumming, pulsing, just like the blood rushing through her ears.

Doing her best to control the nervous shaking of her hands, she sets the now empty basin down on the counter, trying to recollect her thoughts and some of her composure before answering.

"It's not like I feel a sense of... _reserve,_ about it." She admits, truthfully, encouraged to continue by the look of sincere curiosity that she finds on her best friend's face, in that slight tilt of her head when she glances back at her. "It's just that it's _something_..."

She pauses, unable to come up with the right word, or maybe, distracted by the... _compelling_ images that Polly has inevitably triggered in her mind, which is inevitably making some parts of her body react with that same sense of excitement and trepidation that always comes along when she gets into things that she has never tried before.

She barely resists from _squirming_ on the spot.

"Too intimate?" Her friend helpfully supplies after a minute spent searching for the most appropriate word, quirking an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

Piper thinks about that term, trying to understand how it fits in between what she exactly feels about such... _practice._

It would be quite intimate indeed. But... she feels like it wouldn't be much further up the level that she has allowed herself to reach with Alex during her latest session.

Because she has never let anyone touch her while she was in that... particular situation.

"Are you... curious about trying it?" Polly asks her then, much more seriously, and with a softness and more than a hint of tentativeness that doesn't mask the curiosity that is at the base of her question.

The gentleness in her friend's tone is comforting. It creates that safe, judgment-free environment that she needs and it helps in soothing the little sting left by her previous teasing as Piper considers how to answer to such question.

There is no point in pretending that she isn't curious about it. Even though it's one of those few voices in the questionnaire that - out of uncertainty - she has signed as "maybe".

But... Now that she got rid of that first-timer nervousness, now that she got the chance to experience a few sessions, now that she got to know Alex, get familiar with her... _methods_ and, most of all, got to see how deeply considerate and patient under the layers of roughness and severity (added to the character that she plays so exquisitely) the raven-haired woman is, Piper feels considerably less hesitant about her reply.

"Yes." She answers at last, and even though her voice comes out sure and unwavering, she can't say if her certainty gets conveyed just as strongly given the blush that she can still feel there, painting her cheeks into a warm, lovely shade of pink.

Polly must have her own doubts in front of such sight since, with an understandable questioning tilt in her voice she tries to dig a bit further for something more... satisfying, but still carefully, without risking altering this the newly reached balance in what is kind of a slightly - if not exactly awkward - unusual conversation.

"And... would you feel comfortable in... doing it, with her?"

There.

The question is presented to her in the simplest, most respectful and considerate way possible to not make her retreat into herself, asked with an almost neutral tone even, but... there is something else under it that Piper can easily catch. The more subtle, but also the much more important question that stands behind and holds up that first one.

The _"Do you trust her?"_ that Polly doesn't directly ask her but that is there, lingering in her attentive dark gaze, which is appraising her with that same curiosity and... a measure of anticipation.

Piper doesn't have to think twice about it though. But she _does_ have to hold back a little smile when a flash of her previous session crosses her mind, when Alex told her that same thing, and she didn't hesitate to take her hand and just... let be guided.

"I do- _I would,_ " She corrects, immediately, shaking her head to dissipate the still fresh memory of that encounter before it can get a chance to cling in her mind and bring up all the most delightful details. "Be comfortable, I mean."

By the time she glances back up from the dark, filtered mixture of water and oil rippling in the basin in the sink, she is met with the sight of her best friend smirking at her but, surprisingly, without that note of mischief.

"Well then, it seems like you already have the answer," Polly tells her. "I would also say that the fact that you are actually preparing a little something you can bring her to help make things a bit _smoother_ is already a suggestion."

That smirk widens, becoming so impossibly irritating to look at.

"Ugh, this is _for work_ Polly, remember?" Piper reprimands. "You know, the possible new products line you were so excited about and that could help us get new costumers?"

" _Sure_ it is." Polly nods, slowly, indulgently, throwing her a wink that makes Piper groan with annoyance. And also blush, with a hint of bashfulness. Because... she definitely isn't fooling her best friend about how such idea regarding this whole "bedroom/entertainment" line of products came to her in the first place.

"And you know what?" Her friend continues, heading back to the kitchen island and picking up the jar of coconut oil. "I think I'm going to try it first and give you a response once we are done. I might as well dust off that toy I didn't think I would have ever needed to use after, you know, I got _married._ " She mumbles irritated before lifting her gaze from the fine printing on the label and squinting around the living room. "You have any batteries laying around by the way? I think those are going to need changing as well."

Piper's expression breaks in between a cringe, sympathy and a good dose of amusement too upon hearing _that_. But before she can settle on just one, and either ask her friend to _"please don't make me picture that"_ (even though they have just kind of discussed her possibility of getting into her first anal experience) and point her towards the tv cabinet where she keeps batteries and wires and all the electronic stuff, her friend's voice rings once more with a soft note of surprise...

"Hey, I didn't notice this little one over here."

Piper turns around just in time, after taking off her kitchen gloves and hanging them by the towels rack along with the apron that she had tied around her waist, to see her best friend pick up the small, hermetic, glass canister that she had kept aside for several more days, about... _another_ project.

"You wanted to drain this, too Pipes?" Polly asks her turning the jar around to admire and make out the content swimming inside it.

"Oh, ah... No." Piper answers, hurriedly approaching her when her friend's hand reaches for the lid fastener, as if to open it and sniff its content. "No, this is for, uh... something else." She says, taking the little canister from her hands, unable not to give away a certain... _protectiveness_ for the inanimate object containing what (this time) she can't justify as another project related to work.

It is something more... _personal._

"And it isn't ready yet anyway." She also adds as a justification, flashing a nervous, little, apologetic smile in response to the suspicious frown that her friend gives her.

She can feel that curiously appraising gaze on her and she does all she can in order to avoid meeting it and the equally puzzled smile that she can sense must be already curling on her friend's lips. She can picture it as clearly and easily as she can imagine the question that Polly must be barely refraining from asking her.

Luckily, she apparently decides not to, letting the whole thing slide, and Piper is actually grateful for that small mercy, because she can't say that she won't turn into an uncomfortably stuttering, blushing mess if that question would get addressed to her out loud.

In search for a distraction, and wanting to distance herself from that look and that suspicious smile and that question her friend isn't asking her, she picks up the hermetic container, makes sure it is still sealed, and carries it to the living room, setting it down on the corner of her library that she knows the sun doesn't reach during the day. Tucking it between one of her worn novels and, ironically enough, the thick encyclopedia about plants and flowers that is heavy enough to be used as a bookend.

The jar is small, and the vial of essence that she is going to extract from the mix of macerated flowers, oil, and water containing it, is going to be just as modest.

But... Alex has made her a _discount_ last time for her half-session and... well, she guesses that she is just being polite in returning that kindness and all of her understanding and the... _thoughtfulness_ of her generous offer about _relieving_ some of the tension she had kept contained inside her, by offering her a small bottle of essential oil made from orange blossoms and - since she happens to know how much Alex likes them, enough to shape the logo of her club with their suggestive form and get a beautiful tattoo representing the flower - delicate, velvety-soft and fragrant rose petals.

* * *

 **Okay, fine, I'll admit it... I'm not one bit sorry for tricking you into believing that the chapter was starting as the "nightclub event" I have mentioned last time :P Maybe I wanted to get you all a bit riled up over Alex and Sylvia, and itching for Vauseman, lol. Don't worry guys ;) Just some more patience... After all, Piper is already getting quite a bit smitten (without her even realizing it). So much in fact that she has even decided to gift Alex some flowers. Well... kind of :D**


	14. Chapter 14

Hi there!

So, it really seems like the whole Alex/Sylvia thing isn't sitting right with many. Too bad :P Because even though (once again) this is a Vauseman AU, including Sylvia is the way I decided to take with this idea I had, ever since the beginning, when this story was just a thought, and I'm not going to take her out (yet...) just because someone doesn't like the current situation I set. I respect that it may be difficult for someone to read it considering the endgame, but her presence is part of the main plot, so... Yeah, if you are too unhappy about it to continue, the old "don't like it, don't read it" rule applies here as it does in every story ever written.

Now, for those who are still on board, this new chapter is a very long one. Reason why it has taken me some time to complete it, and while all of your requests for an update are quite flattering, just... try to also keep in mind that writing something this long can take some time, ok guys?

Anyway, as I said, long chapter ahead and filled with quite some... nope. I'll leave you to find out :D Just...

Enjoy

* * *

There are a few things, Alex believes, that are (and that she, also, personally finds) as exquisitely rewarding as watching a woman writhe in pleasure upon reaching that glorious peak.

She has always taken a certain amount of satisfaction in witnessing that sight unfold before her. And also, inevitably - given that her ministrations are what bring to such result - a small, healthy dose of pride, too.

Maybe it is because during this year and a half that she has spent benched - taking care of the more bureaucratic side of the club instead of holding the whip - she had forgotten how it was like to introduce an amateur new to this whole world and train them, _personally_.

See the delightful responses elicited by the balanced mix of pain and pleasure that some practices can offer in the most gratifying ways when expertly combined.

 _Feel_ that result, _literally_ , under her fingertips.

Thick and slippery.

Smell it in the air. That unmistakable, heady, syrupy, musky tang.

But, for how much she tries to make that reason stick, the excuse of having laid down the whip for some time simply doesn't seem to be strong enough to stand on its own when it comes to a certain blonde, young businesswoman, and to the way she reacts under her touch...

Whether it is her fingers, her mouth, or a toy - although (as Alex has very recently found out in a _very_ entertaining way) not the _vibrating_ kind given said young woman's quite endearing... newly discovered _ticklish_ tendencies - the responses that Alex receives from her are always so exquisitely raw. So profoundly sincere.

 _Primal_.

Born from that authentic, most vital place where her desire lives and pulses so enthusiastically to life under her touch.

From the way she quivers, visibly, audibly (given that little stutter in her breathing) with anticipation whenever Alex is about to touch her more... _intimately_ , to the way she tilts her head back, exposing the full, elegant column of her throat, as the first delightful moan falls from her lips (slightly breathier respect any others that Alex has ever heard) and those vibrant blue eyes flutter shut, rolling onto the back of her head, in a combination of relief and authentic bliss when she gets finally filled just like she has been _begging_ to be filled.

Alex's own core clenches in front of such sight and upon feeling those tight, warm, velvety-soft inner walls clench around her. Welcoming her with such enthusiasm that leaves her unable her to move for several long moments.

But rush is not only a concept that doesn't have a place in this profession, but also one that isn't part of Alex's nature, or something she would never surrender to out of impatience.

And so, she waits. Until Piper's breathing - from hard and labored - returns to a more acceptable rhythm, and the grip of that clinging heat wrapped so exquisitely around her has loosened up enough to allow her to move. And when she is finally, actually able to do so again, she can't not take a certain amount of pleasure in seeing the young woman already arching into her touch at the first thrust, hear her whimper for more and cry in ecstasy whenever she decides to curl her fingertips - or add a small, expert rotation of her hips whenever she is wearing a toy - to deliberately hit that extremely sensitive, delightfully responsive spot against her front wall.

For how enjoyable, however, physical pleasure is only a part of what the session involves in its entirety.

The rest is up to whatever she decides to introduce into each encounter. To the ambiance she sets in preparation, the way she tactfully taunts the young woman by teasing some scenario or simply... _Talking_ to her. Knowing well what kind of effect uttering a few, dirty, particularly explicit words tends to have on Piper.

Everything she does is meant to add a certain spark to said pleasure and aid, with its warmth, in unfurling that knot of tension. That _spring_ coiling deep down in her lower belly.

There also are a few items that are never missing lately in their sessions, but that's only because Alex - ever since the first time she has noticed the way the young businesswoman's entire face had lit up when she had first presented her the ropes - (just like it did today when she had dangled a pair of leather handcuffs in front of her) has felt like she simply _had to_ keep the " _restraining_ " part as a regular.

Such reactions, such displays of plain enthusiasm would be pretty hard to miss. Just like the way those blue eyes darken with lust while those rosy cheeks brighten with a contrasting, deep red flush of humiliation do whenever, in the middle of a particularly rougher scenario, Alex dares to throw in some mild insult.

Maybe, that thing that attracts her so magnetically is the juxtaposition of those two sides that she sees battling so viciously against each other within the young woman, but...

There is just... _something else_ , in the way Piper responds to her general attentions that Alex - despite her attentiveness and experience - seems to be unable to properly identify. Even though she can feel it grow stronger the deeper they venture into the session. Reaching its apex the closer she brings the young woman towards that precipice.

There is _something_ in the way the scent of her arousal lifts and clings more persistently in the air. Thicker. Stronger. Enough for Alex to almost be able to _taste_ it on her palate. Leaving her mouth-watering and challenging her self-restraint.

There is _something_ in the way Piper, no matter what, takes everything she has to give her, whether it is a harsher thrust, a slap across her butt, or an insult (without it being particularly degrading either) growled hotly in her ear.

There is _something_ in the way Piper begs her and then waits (so patiently despite the desperation making her entire body quiver, turning her eyes into bottomless black pits) for Alex to grant her permission to come even though every muscle might already starting to tense up during those instants preceding her imminent fall. As if unconsciously preparing itself for an impending crash; mouth falling open, lips parting with a sharp, desperate, stuttered gasp, as that tight spring coil inside of her prepares to snap.

Alex finds herself holding her own breath in anticipation as well. Because it's true when she says that she has never experienced anything more glorious, took more pleasure (without taking her own too, _physically_ , at the same time) and felt a stronger, more profound sense of satisfaction than when she is making a woman come.

 _But..._

With Piper...

For the first time, she feels like she has never taken more enjoyment in wanting to _keep her_ there.

 _Balanced_ precariously over that thin, slippery edge, where just the most minimal brush would be enough to send her plummeting down that abyss.

And for how much Alex wants to push her for the rest of the way, she can't help but delay.

For _just a little longer..._

Because she knows that once she'll grant permission, once that coil will break, once the pleasure will overflow from Piper's body and lit up every nerve endings, everything will slow down for those couple of minutes... only for the rest to fast forward to the inevitable end, and-

And Alex wants to stretch this moment for as long as possible.

She just... _does._

For reasons that she doesn't care to dwell much into.

Way too consumed by the glorious scene playing before her.

Focusing on doing her best to make those moments last for as long as she can. Using all of her expertise and skills and tools at her disposal to render the experience as intense as possible for the young businesswoman, and also, while she does so - finding herself archiving every single one of those little details making this whole display so unique, without consciously even meaning to.

And it's from those signs, (from the most subtle, to the most obvious, uncensored ones) how she gets to know if the release that the blonde reaches is a powerful one, or absolutely _crushing_ in the most gratifying way that leaves her a panting, shivering, exhausted, drained, (but mostly _wet_ mess.

Today, much to Alex's infinite satisfaction, it is the latest.

As soon as she grants permission, she watches, breathless, as Piper's entire body tenses up.

Back arching so delightfully, head tilting back against the pillows, eyes fluttering shut, hands closing into tight fists, knuckles turning white, veins bulging and muscles flexing along her forearms as she instinctively tugs, _hard_ , at the leather handcuffs that look just so... _exquisite_ , wrapped around her wrists.

Alex drinks in the sight of the young blonde like this, snapping a mental picture of the scene just as those lips fall open in a shout that echoes all around - and then absolutely _reveling_ upon feeling the first, powerful, extremely rewarding gush of _warmth_ of Piper's release splashing against her lower belly.

She swallows down a groan, and spreads those long toned legs even more open, holding her down and preventing her from buckling too hard while her hips keep thrusting at the same rhythm, maintaining that angulation that is making the trembling woman beneath her release (literally) all over her, until those spurts grow weaker, starting to taper off, leaving Piper to slump back against the pillows, gasping greedily for air, chest heaving, abdomen flexing, and thighs shaking with the same exertion that has left her skin shimmering in a layer of profound satisfaction.

Alex rolls her hips forward a few more times, going all the way in till the hilt. _Slowly._ Just to make sure that the young woman rides the entirety of her orgasm to its fullest. And then, to add a little spark that will prolong it for those few extra seconds - she also hooks her thumb and tugs a little (although much more gently than she has done earlier) at the chain which extremities are clamped around those exquisitely responsive nipples.

The gesture (and the newfound gentleness in it) earns her that delightful sound that is in between a hissed groan and a purr of approval, and that, once again, doesn't fail in shaping Alex's lips into a deeply satisfied smirk.

Her hips could keep up with the pace and resume in no time with the harsher snapping of before, but she knows that poor, exhausted Piper can't take it anymore.

After all, she _did_ put the young woman through quite a particularly intense session this afternoon. Nonetheless, it's still with a fair amount of reluctance that - once she feels like the tightness wrapped around the toy starts losing some strength as those inner muscles relax - Alex starts pulling out from that still (although weakly) fluttering core. All while ignoring the need throbbing between her own legs, and dismissing as well the dull burning in her lower back.

Yeah... She didn't spare herself today at all.

She couldn't.

Or even felt like she _had_ a reason to.

She makes sure to be extremely careful in withdrawing the thick shaft, perfectly aware of the young woman's sensitivity. Promptly stopping whenever she hears a soft whimper fall from those lips or sees a small twitch of something that may resemble pain crease those lovely features.

The fleeting expression of discomfort doesn't mask the much more consistent satisfaction showing all over the rest of her body though, but the act of pulling out also makes her stiffen up instinctively, and as soon as Alex feels that, she can't help but reach out, releasing the hold she has on one of those toned thighs and resting her hand on Piper's waist, soothingly stroking the patch of skin there with her thumb, feeling the tension of those muscles through that first soft layer.

"It's okay," Alex reassures, pleased to see that even just those few words and that simple gesture helps in making the blonde melt a little under her touch, enough to allow her to continue pulling out, but it's also then that she makes the mistake of glancing down between their partially linked bodies.

In the moment Alex's gaze drifts lower - down Piper's elegant neck, noticing the jolts of her pulse against her throat - tracing the small yet delightful swell of those perky, incredibly responsive breasts linked by the chain of the clamps, skimming down that toned abdomen that ripples in time with the harsher breaths Piper is trying to gulp down - in the moment her eyes land between those parted thighs, there is no way to stop the low growl that rises from her chest and that she barely manages to partially suppress in the back of her throat.

Because, generally, Piper is already an exquisite sight like this; thoroughly fucked, _sated_. The way her body is still quivering with the aftershock of her orgasm is the most tangent proof of that.

But there is a whole other kind of beauty in seeing her core flushed, her outer lips glistening, puffy and blossomed open, in seeing the sheets underneath her _drenched_ with the same slickness covering the toy, which - after withdrawing for those few more inches left - slips out of that clinging heat with a slight bounce. And which loss is also immediately followed by that noise that is in between a groan of disapproval and a contrasting sigh of relief.

The throb that Alex has felt a minute ago between her own legs, represents. Like a vicious stab that has her struggle against the almost overwhelming temptation to re-align the toy and push back inside where she _knows -_ despite the exhaustion seeping into the young blonde's bones - she would still be welcomed with the same warmth and enthusiasm of when she first slid inside that tight entrance half an hour ago.

Alex has no idea how she finds the willpower to tear her gaze away from the wonderful sight of that usually tight opening, now stretched so beautifully, so... _invitingly._

When she glances up, however, sucking in a deep breath and blinking a few times in order to regain focus and get a hold of that need swelling in her lower belly, she finds out to not be the only one whose gaze has been fixed _on something_ in particular...

In fact, it seems that Piper (who has apparently recovered enough and regained some of her awareness back) has her own eyes - half-lidded but clearly, visibly, still dark and lustful - fixed on the thick shaft of the toy standing between her legs; admiring the way it shimmers with the slick result of her own pleasure.

The tip of a pink tongue darts out to wet her lips, and Alex can't help but smirk in front of that gesture and the clear thought standing behind it.

Getting into something physical may no longer be an option for many reasons. The lack of time in the session coming to an end being one of them - but knowing how much Piper secretly enjoys it, Alex thinks that it would be just a waste to not at least take the occasion to taunt her a little more.

"Well... Don't you look like you would enjoy putting those pretty lips to work and sucking me off now?"

Even though she has already used such language before, the slang still tastes a bit odd in her mouth. But despite that foreignness, it still slips quite smoothly from her lips, and, most of all, the response that she earns from such explicitness is exactly the one she was hoping to receive.

Those already flushed rosy cheeks turn into a deeper shade of red, but what delights Alex even more, is the way Piper - after releasing the bottom lip she had caught and trapped between her teeth - answers to her question with a slightly husky, but quite firm, "Yes, Mistress."

If there is one thing Alex has learned about how differently people act in the confines of these rooms, is that a particularly powerful release tends to take down those last few barriers of bashfulness and sense of reserve.

And she couldn't be more pleased to see that Piper has grown so comfortable with this dynamic, _with her,_ to allow herself to strip off those restraints and be so honestly open about what she wants.

Being able to see this rawest side finally showing itself from under that deceiving (although still rather endearing) layer of shyness, it's yet another one of those things - those little details starting to emerge, from where Alex takes a fair amount of pride.

She can actually _feel it._

Swelling there in the cavity of her chest.

Although... it feels somehow warmer and... considerably more _tingly_ than how she remembered it.

It's a sensation that catches her a bit off guard, but not enough to prevent the smirk on her lips from growing upon hearing that answer; put so easily, yet so respectfully, that any other day she wouldn't need much more to grant such request, but, if she would actually do it, and let the young woman take the head of the toy between her lips, watch them slide down the length until the tip would nudge against the back of that elegant throat, leaving Alex to imagine how that smart, talented mouth would feel like wrapped around her, imagining the heat that would envelop her and how that tongue would flick and those lips seal and suck and-

 _Fuck..._

She inhales sharply as that thought, that compelling _image_ , sends another powerful pang of arousal between her legs, making the ache there swell further, rendering it all the more unbearable when her clit _jolts_ against the leather seat of the strap-on.

Piper seems to notice how she sways and the hopeful look that Alex finds into those glittering blue eyes makes it _so much harder_ for her to deny the young businesswoman's polite request.

"Maybe next time," Is how she answers at last.

Because this _isn't_ about _her._

And Piper _is_ (despite that lustful, seemingly-insatiable look) pretty worn out. There is no masking that look, or the plain, deep satisfaction showing on every inch of her body.

"You did so very good today," Alex tells her, smiling, feeling the need to properly praise her, because she herself is immensely pleased by the young woman's... performances and the admirable self-restraint she has given proof to possess this afternoon.

"And I wouldn't want to overtire you." She also admits, honestly, reaching out with one hand to brush aside a few sweat-slick strands of golden hair from that _lovely_ face.

As expected, a shade of disappointment shows into those dark blue eyes. The quivering body beneath hers visibly deflates upon hearing such denial, and something in Alex's chest stutters. Maybe it's the way her heartbeat is finally starting to settle down after such a long and intense... ride, or maybe it has less to do with her own exhaustion (and persistent arousal throbbing dully between her legs) and more to do with the sight of the young woman leaning into her touch, as if taking comfort from it, before those blue eyes drift lower...

Landing on her lips.

It's a fleeting look, but... it's not the first time it happens to linger for a second or two longer.

And Alex sure knows the thought that stands behind it...

There is just this lighter, comfortable ambiance wrapping the moment whenever the session is reaching the end, that feels extremely cozy. Almost... _intimate._

It's yet another one of those _things_ about Piper and what her general presence elicits in her that Alex can't quite understand.

Because she used to do this _regularly_. She has dealt with many clients over the years and got as intimate with them as her dominatrix role allowed, but... she doesn't remember feeling this... quiet _energy_ buzzing around her. Prickling so pleasantly on her skin afterwards.

And for how much she tries to pin it (once again) on her absence from this role for a while - or even blame it on the young woman's post-coital, adorably drowsy state, she knows that those are not strong enough excuses.

She is a professional no matter what.

And yet... her own eyes get inevitably drawn lower to those thin, rosy, slightly parted, oh-so-invitingly-glistening lips, too.

And for a moment, for a split second, she can't help but think that it sure would be incredibly easy to just... _lean in,_ and-

Alex shakes her head, diverting her gaze with a start. Blinking away that thick haze that was starting to dangerously cloud her judgment, and trying to regain focus. Inwardly frowning at the way her heart seems to have just skipped a beat, jolting with a hard thud against her ribcage, as if startled by that very same thought, chastising herself and leaving her to wonder what could have made such a forbidden image even cross her mind.

 _"Alex?"_

The way she hears her name slip so smoothly, with such... an _easy familiarity_ , from those very same lips she has gotten a taste of just once (and might even still remember the sweetness of) doesn't help Alex one bit in helping her recover from that ambushing feeling.

Nor does the matching look that she finds on Piper's face...

But the sound of her voice, even if laced with that note of worry, leads her back to reality.

"Sorry," She murmurs, barely above a whisper, even though she doesn't know for what, exactly, she is apologizing for.

"I just..." She diverts her gaze, immensely grateful when she finds an immediate distraction from the insistent pounding of her heart when her eyes land on the young woman's wrists, still bound together by the leather handcuffs looped around the bar of the headboard.

"Here. Let me untie you."

The half-smile that she flashes the young woman in reassurance only manages to visibly confuse Piper more, at least that's what Alex gets when she sees the previously lighter frown of concern between her eyebrows deepen that bit more in front of that little twitch of her lips. But she finds herself unable to offer anything better or more sincere at the moment.

She feels thrown off balance by the thought that was starting to take such a vicious, almost _physical_ consistency in her mind, taking her back to that first evening, to that rainy late afternoon not so long ago... And in order to regain (after that little stumble) that same stability she usually has in her composure, she proceeds to untie the businesswoman. Slowly finding herself once again in the familiarity of unbuckling the straps of the leather handcuffs from around those slender wrists, and then shifting her attention lower, to her chest, to also remove the nipple clamps there.

After having found out how much Piper enjoys this kind of stimulation, Alex has only felt like she simply _had_ to insert the little gadget into their sessions, which introducion has, of course, been approved of and welcomed with a bit of hesitation at first but that has quickly grown into the most extreme enthusiasm.

Even though she is particularly careful in removing them considering the sensitivity that their... _presence_ have left on those delicate buds, Piper still hisses a little; that same sound of before that is half a groan and half a sigh of relief when Alex takes them off.

Upon closer inspection, she can clearly see that the two twin buds are still hard and a bit swollen with what she hopes is just overstimulation, and that sudden doubt - which makes her stomach twist a little on itself - has her glance up at Piper.

"Were they sealed too tightly?" She asks, and then, immediately after, unable to not wonder if maybe her treatment hasn't been rougher than she thought... "Did _I_ pull too hard?"

A strange look instantly crosses Piper's face.

Those still dark-blue eyes drift away from hers as the blonde catches her bottom lip between teeth, squirming, and folding a little into herself under her gaze and that specific question in a rather... _guiltily_ way.

And just as suddenly, in front of that unmistakable, loud reaction, the twisting in Alex's stomach increases tenfolds. As if someone had just given a wrench at her insides.

A feeling so _sickening_ \- as much as the awful thought that is forming in her mind - that makes her freeze on the spot.

Piper has mentioned an interest in rough-ish treatment, sure, and even though this is nothing that will leave a permanent sign, the thought of having possibly hurt the young woman because she might have been... taken adrift with today's session herself along with the blonde into that vast tumultuous sea of desire, makes her blood run cold with dread, feeling it turning into ice when she looks down Piper's body and upon a first brief scan, she notices, for the first time - without the haze of... of passion clouding her vision - the couple of dark _imprints_ left behind on that flawless skin.

Her eyes widen and her lips part in consternation as her gaze snaps up, searching Piper's shy one.

"Why didn't you tell me I was holding you so tightly?" She asks. "Why didn't you tell me to _slow down?_ "

She doesn't mean to sound so reprimanding but... Piper is sporting some bruises that are already starting to darken and-

And just as that blue gaze has drifted away from hers but a moment ago, it returns in a flash, loaded with alarm after hearing the worry in her voice and the seriousness laced with apprehension in her tone.

"Because I didn't want you _to_." The young woman hurries to reassure her. "And I..." She pauses, swallows, but this time, even though the temptation to look away seems to be there, those eyes remain locked firmly with hers.

"I _liked_ the way you were holding me down, Alex... _Very much_ in fact."

Alex's heart slows down, returning to sit at its place in her chest as a soothing wave of reassurance brought by Piper's sincere admission washes over her, allowing her muscles to relax and her lungs to release the breath she didn't know she had been holding for all this time. And yet, even though she feels calmer, that feeling in her stomach has yet to loosen up. The tight knot there threatening to get even tighter when she glances down again at those two, still hard little buds and sees how _tender_ they look.

 _"I'm fine, Alex."_

Piper's soft voice and reassurance coax Alex's gaze up again for a brief moment, but that is more than enough for her to see the sincerity rippling into those blue eyes.

Still, unable to resist, and guided by this... this _odd urge_ to provide comfort and convey some sort of apology, Alex finds herself leaning in and brushing her lips against the most swollen one of those hard little buds. Reveling in the way Piper shivers and sucks in a sharp stuttered sip of air when her breath brushes against the overly sensitive areola.

She blows lightly across it and, in response to that, Piper pushes her chest forward. Arching into that whispered touch that for once is not meant to tease but _to soothe_ , and when those hands reach down (either seeking for something to hold on onto or to make sure that she _stays there_ ) carding through her hair, Alex surrenders to the urge of brushing her lips against it.

She lets her tongue dart out to delicately lap at it...

...in something reminiscent of a tentative, soft, first kiss.

If something about this moment strikes her as odd, like... this foreign urge been met in full and with the same urgency coming from Piper, it is only how... _flawless,_ how... _easy_ and light and... _effortless_ it all feels.

It's soothing in a way she doesn't even care to question at the moment, because what has her main attention, what she is most grateful for, is the way Piper seems to melt under that soft attention. And how the knot of worry in her stomach is finally starting to loosen up, rendering her capable to breathe again.

It's a brief relief though. Because as soon as that knot completely melts, she is overcome by that _other_ feeling.

The same one she felt the whisper of earlier while she was watching Piper come.

So deeply comforting and tingly.

It sparks in the depth of her belly, but soon enough is spreads higher.

Blossoming in the cavity of her chest.

...and leaving her unable to breathe all over again.

 **. . .**

Piper knows that the feeling catching in her throat has nothing to do with the rest of all those pleasantly buzzing sensations result of the mind-blowing release that she has just experienced. But she still tries to pin it on that.

Because it's easier convince herself that the reason why she feels like this is nothing but a swirl of hormones winding through her system and general lightheadedness, and not on the fact - on the sad, sad realization - that never before she had a lover who paid her not only even an ounce of the wonderful, fulfilling attentions that Alex, with all her expertise, brings to a higher level with every new session in order to satisfy her so thoroughly... But also showing such an honest thoughtfulness, such a deep consideration that has bordered into actual concern just a few minutes ago.

So rawly sincere.

Seeming to maybe even border a little from that strictly-professional level.

But that's a thought Piper keeps far, _far_ away from emerging, even though it might have already started to poke into her preconscious.

And maybe it's such presence and influence, or that very same cocktail of hormones coursing through her still buzzing system, but... even if knows that she shouldn't, aware that there is a chance that indulging in such thought might make her feel even worse later, she still decides to drink into this moment, taking a profound amount of comfort from in it and letting herself imagine that this is not just a session in a sex club with Alex - a woman she is paying for her time and those attentions and skills.

She _definitely_ shouldn't.

But for a moment, no matter how fleeting it is, she lets herself slip into that fantasy. only to feel that knot grow tighter in her throat when Alex switches between her breasts, brushing her lips just as delicately (a touch that is almost reverent in its softness) across her other hardened, extremely sensitive nipple, before shifting her attention lower. To the few fingertip-shaped imprints left at her side.

Somehow, Piper manages to swallow down that stubborn feeling. Sucking in a shuddering breath. Tearing herself away from that indulgent thought and forcing herself to regain some of her composure, although, even if she searches for that much more comforting and familiar suit that she wears every day and gives her the impression of being in control and shield her from... _things_ , she simply _can't_ let go completely of this moment just yet, clinging onto it for a little longer, as gently as she can, unable to resist the urge to run her fingers through Alex's silky-soft hair, all while trying to convince herself (and get back to that mental set) that _this..._ is _better._

That being in an actual relationship, having strings will end up with her tangled up in them.

She wasn't lying to Polly that time she said she wouldn't have had the time either.

 _No_... getting release is what she needs. Extensive exploring and getting to know her own body and its limits in this environment is _why_ she decided to join the sex club in the first place. _Nothing more._

 _But_... this shade of softness afterwards...

The _infinite care_ that Alex puts _in every detail_... The way those usually vibrant green eyes had widened a minute ago with something that was beyond concern and actually bordering into a sickening fear at the _thought_ of having hurt her...

It makes Piper's (not-so-rock-solid-after-all) conviction waver.

And it also makes her heart skip a couple of beats.

Under the compelling warmth of Alex's mouth and the delicate brush of those lips on her delicate, oversensitive, sweat-slick and heated skin, she struggles to slip back into that armor she finds herself needing so desperately right now.

And, eventually, she gives up in her fruitless attempt to.

 _Melting_ under the heat and softness of those irresistible lips.

She still stops the raven-haired woman from going any lower however, because she doesn't know how she would be able to handle that touch - so soft and caring - against the bruises left on the inside of her thighs.

Enduring such gentleness somewhere so intimate would be far too much for her right now.

With the tiredness clinging to her bones, a weak little tug on the back of Alex's head is all she manages though, but it's more than enough to get her attention, even if she soon finds out to be not one bit prepared to see that look of worry, _the guilt_ shadowing those green lakes once Alex blinks up at her.

"You okay?" The raven-haired woman asks her, and that feeling that Piper has felt a few minutes ago, swelling in her throat, returns, but this time its crushing grips tightens in her chest instead, where she feels a sharp, halting stutter.

Despite that sudden sensation though, her lips still curl into a smile. And it couldn't be any other way in front of that quiet, tentative question and the look that Alex is giving her.

She just really hopes that her own eyes aren't giving away the strong emotions - the dangerous combination of icy sadness and contrasting warmth born from such thoughtfulness, that she can feel glistening into them, forming a little lump in her throat and almost making her voice quiver when she answers.

"I'm okay..."

As attentive as she knows the raven-haired woman is though, Piper doubts that her attempt to properly masking those emotions turn out being anything other than futile, but she still tries her best to suppress them. Even if there is simply nothing that she can do for the pounding of her heart; which frantic rhythm, however, could easily be disguised as her body still trying to recover from the powerful orgasm she has just experienced and that almost dragged her over to the point of unconsciousness.

As expected, Alex doesn't seem quite convinced by her reply. Looking so clearly, visibly reluctant in front of all the contrasting emotions that Piper knows are showing on her face, even though none of them are for the reasons Alex is probably, currently thinking about and blaming herself for.

And it's exactly that very same look, the way it creases those stunning features with worry and guilt, what shakes Piper hard enough from that grip of melancholy and despondency about her personal life and regain a good dose of her composure back, pushing aside her own self-pity and getting a hold of herself long enough for her to convey all of her reassurance to the one, wonderfully kind, and insufferably teasing woman who has been taking care of her lately with such devotion and consideration in so many different ways Piper didn't think she needed but finds herself _craving for._

 _Especially_ towards the end of every single session lately; when the haze of lust is dissipating and this other pleasantly quiet atmosphere replaces it, enveloping the moment and filling it with the kind of comfort that her recovering body seeks for. And that Alex's careful attentions render all the more soothing and comforting.

"I'm okay, Alex." She repeats, and this time, the smile that shapes her lips is easier, which makes it also much more sincere, and the sight of it, of its honesty now reaching her (although still glistening) eyes, seems to be able to melt away some of the tension from Alex's frame.

Those broad, strong shoulders of hers drop with what looks like the same relief that smooths out the crinkles of worry that had been etched in her expression.

"And I'm sorry," Piper also apologize, just as sincerely and a bit self-consciously, too. "I didn't mean to concern you."

She most definitely didn't.

To worry and consequently upset Alex because of her... _dubious behavior_... in these always delicate circumstances, is the last thing she wanted.

 _But..._

"It's just that..." She feels her cheeks heat up again when she pauses, taking in a breath and releasing it slowly through her nose, readying herself for that confession.

"I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid that you would have... stopped, altogether." _And I didn't want you to hold me less tightly, neither,_ she also thinks between herself, because god... _She likes that feeling._

She likes having something keeping her grounded.

She _revels_ in being left powerless under her Mistress' exquisite roughness.

Or maybe...

Maybe it's simply the contact itself, and the comfort it brings her in its simplicity knowing that she doesn't have to keep control, because Alex is already keeping a firm enough hold on it for both of them, appositely so she can just... _let go._

It's a sensation so delightfully freeing knowing that even if she is getting dragged adrift by that indomitable current of passion, Alex is there. _Holding onto her._ And preventing her from going so far that she won't even be able to find her way back.

The bruises on her hips, the little circles left on the inside of her thigh by those strong, talented hands, are a reminder of that, _a testimony._

One that she will be skimming her fingers over with a smile on her lips in a couple of days when they will have turned into that faint shade of green.

Because she might take a significant amount of pleasure in sporting those signs on her body. It helps her in getting through the week that she'll have to wait for until her next session.

Realization and something that looks a lot like understanding is the first thing that she sees widening Alex's eyes when she voices that explanation. Although, after such confession gets properly absorbed, the raven-haired woman still seems ready to scold her again.

Those aqua-green eyes narrow and that general, unmistakable, reprimanding look shows on her face, and Piper is already bracing herself for it.

But... after a moment, much to her infinite surprise, those features softens as Alex exhales a long, silent breath and shakes her head, as if dismissing whatever other admonition she was thinking to voice as her gaze shifts lower once more, where the proof of her wonderfully, barely restrained... _dedication_... has left physical imprints on her skin.

"You have to tell me if I'm going too far, Piper."

It's still a reprimand, but the softer tone doesn't make it sound like one since the layer of worry predominates, making Piper feel both scolded _and_ guilty.

"I know..." She admits. "But you didn't," She also adds. Truth be told she could have taken _more_ of those hands gripping her so... _so possessively,_ while those hips slammed against hers, filling her over and over with that thick shaft that combined with Alex's expertise has managed to reach and stroke every single, most pleasurable spot deep inside her.

"And I deeply enjoyed it." She states, voice strong and certain - without disrupting the quietness of the moment - and leaving no space for arguments or any more doubts.

Still, Alex releases another long breath through her nose, studying her closely, as if searching for traces of uncertainties that simply aren't there to be found.

"Just..." She pauses, stroking one of those little darkening circles with her thumb and with an impossible tenderness that still amazes Piper and leaves her wondering for the hundredth time how can it be part of the woman who ten minutes ago was pounding so mercilessly, so passionately, inside of her with hard, full, long thrusts of her hips and whispering a string of dirty, mildly humiliating, _filthy_ things in her ear.

"Just... promise me you will tell me next time and use our slow-down word?"

It's not as much as the way Alex asks her such thing (like that _"our word"_ part) but it's something in her expression, in the way she glances up at her with those eyes holding an unexpectedly soft vulnerability that makes such question sound just so... _intimate._

That stutter in her chest represents.

Ten times stronger than before.

So harsh and sudden that the breath catches in her throat and slips past her parting lips in a muted gasp.

It's impossible, in front of that look, for Piper not to feel the heavy weight of guilt already threatening to overcome her again, because now she knows, now she has the actual confirmation about _how worried_ she got Alex. But she doesn't let that feeling cripple her. Instead, guided by a need - an urge that is almost primal and instinctive in its nature - she finds herself sliding forward one of the hands she still has laced through Alex's hair, cradling her jaw in her palm. And something about such gesture, seems to already lighten the air and bring a comfort that she would have never thought could be achieved with so little.

Charged by a new surge of confidence and the even more powerful urge to reassure Alex, she wills her voice to remain steady when she answers to that question with a firm, yet soft, and earnest, "I promise."

She keeps her gaze locked with that emerald one and doesn't waver, leaving herself open, and allowing the raven-haired woman to see the sincerity in such promise as well as the note of guilt that is still there, sticking in her voice, along with the apology she wants to convey.

Alex sees it all after a long, accurate scrutiny, and the way her lips curl - slowly, at last, into a hinted smile - for how subtle, it's beautiful in its simplicity and honesty.

 _Authentic._

But Piper is starting to get that Alex is nothing but absolutely authentic in _everything_ she does.

And such thing... _worries her._

Starting from that smile.

Piper would have never thought possible that seeing a smile, for how small yet so sincere, would have been able to lift the weight that was starting to crush her chest.

But what really soothes the uncomfortable pressure that was left there from such weight and makes her heart stumble all over itself for a few beats, is the way Alex, upon feeling her thumb stroking the side of her cheekbone, turns her head, ever so slightly on the side, just enough for those impossibly soft, rosy lips to slide against the inside of her palm.

It's not a kiss. But the movement is a conscious one.

She even lingers there for that beat that it takes Piper to be able to suck in a sharp sip of air and that only catches in her throat when those emerald eyes, sparkling so beautifully with relief and gratefulness, find her blue ones once again.

...only to drop lower.

 _Down to her lips._

Suddenly, the air all around her seems to change.

It grows thicker.

The next following seconds tick by as slowly as if the world itself had been inundated with molasses. And yet, despite that rich, enveloping density that seems to be swallowing anything else, the moment is both light and loaded with another... invisible _presence._

An unknown feeling, _a thought,_ an unnamed _knowledge_ that seems to surround them both.

It tingles on her skin, and makes her own eyes drift to Alex's lips as they have done earlier.

 _So easy..._ she thinks.

It would be _so easy_ to just... cradle that perfect jaw a bit more firmly, give a little tug and lean forward at the same time.

To erase that minimal, insignificant distance left and... deliver the rest of her reassurance, apologize all at once like no other word beside her own promise would be able to convey on its own as much as that simple, single, glorious gesture which warmth and softness would be able to take away and soothe any sting left from lingering doubts and...

Piper's heart feels like it's truly about to evade from the cage of her chest, and she finds herself in a desperate need for a distraction, something, _anything_ that would prevent her from plunging deeper into those green lakes sparkling with the sincerity and care that she has _never_ experienced or seen in anyone else she has been with before. A care and consideration that, in some way, seems to reach a bit deeper than sole professionalism.

She searches for something that will prevent her from doing something incredibly stupid and forbidden and-

Someone must be listening to her desperate plea apparently...

Because the need for a distraction comes just when her hand is about to give into that itching urge to pull Alex closer.

But she is the _opposite_ of grateful when such distraction is provided by an embarrassingly loud, deep _growling sound_ coming from her belly.

It's _so_ loud that at first, she thinks it is one of the metal bars of the headboard groaning and finally giving out under all the violent pulling that she has done earlier when she was handcuffed to one of them. But _oh no..._

Not such luck.

That low rumble definitely came from _her stomach._

She almost startles.

Her entire body tenses up.

Her eyes widening with horror, as do Alex's - even though her expression shifts much more quickly from puzzlement, to suprise and then...

And then the raven-haired woman simply does the most impressive job in trying to hold back a laugh that ends up just scratching the back of her throat in a strangled snort, but even though she manages to keep her mouth closed in order to not let that sound escape and risk embarrassing her more than Piper isn't already, those lips still stretch into one of those hugely pleased smirks that only make Piper wish that she could just pull the sheets over her head and... disappear for this room, from the club, _from the world._ Or even combust on the spot, which doesn't seem like such a ridiculous thought given the heat of humiliation that is currently boiling inside of her treacherous stomach and scalding her face and neck and chest, and that she feels reaching the tip of her ears like a fuse when Alex, as expected, in front of such a way-too-tempting opportunity, ends up giving in to her playful, teasing nature.

"I think I'm going to take that one as _a compliment._ " The raven-haired woman quips, green eyes brightening up and glittering, rippling with infinite amusement.

It would be quite a delight to see the way the colors in there change, bringing up the clearer shade of humor that allows her to glimpse at the flecks of gold shimmering at the bottom of those lakes. But Piper is way too consumed by embarrassment to keep eye contact.

She barely refrains from hiding behind her own hands even though she folds a little on herself, feeling quite self-conscious.

"I'm _so_ , _so sorry,_ Alex... I'm just-"

"Hungry." The raven-haired woman deduces, and, much to Piper's surprise, instead of widening, that smirk on her lips actually _softens_ into a lighter version showing understanding instead of just plain humor. "Obviously, I mean... after all this should be your lunch break, right?"

 _Yeah, and I spent it quenching my thirst instead,_ Piper thinks, wondering if spontaneous human combustion is indeed possible.

The blush that rises on her cheeks (over which she has absolutely no control over) and the way she bites her bottom lip, guiltily, feeling cornered by that question (which sounds almost like an accusation) is what makes Alex release a quiet little chuckle before pulling away from her.

With an instinct that Piper can't quite understand the origin of (or even cares to investigate at the moment) but that feels linked to that need of closeness and warmth and refuge into general comfort as her body recovers - she finds herself reaching out when Alex climbs down from the bed.

"Wait where are you going?" She even asks, inhibited.

In her hope to find a distraction that would dismiss the dangerous thoughts taking form in her mind, she has ended up ruining the moment and turning it into... _this._ Bringing Alex to conclude the session so abruptly. Which is exactly _the opposite_ of what Piper wanted.

"Don't worry," The raven-haired woman reassures her, flashing her a smile that is all mystery and that sparkle of mischief that Piper instantly notices glittering on the surface once again.

"I'll be right back. Just... wait here." Alex tells her, which is... totally unnecessary given that she sure feels still uncertain about getting on her own feet and keep herself up on her wobbly knees, least of all go _anywhere_ that isn't maybe just a couple of inches towards the center of the bed where the sheets are... _drier._

"I'm gonna get you something," Alex announces, enigmatically, and just like that, with that curious reply (and a wink that if Piper wasn't laying down would most definitely make her swoon a little) the raven-haired woman unbuckles the strap-on from her waist with those incredibly deft hands and steps out of it before retrieving her dark-framed glasses from the nightstand and a black dressing gown from the bottom drawer of the dresser against the wall, putting it on and then slipping out of the room before Piper can get a chance to ask what, _exactly,_ she has in mind. Getting quite distracted by the delightful sight of those glasses sitting once again where they belong on the bridge of her nose, and by the sight of that soft black fabric wrapping all of that exquisite alabaster skin in a silky embrace.

 **. . .**

Piper has _no idea_ how she does it.

Regaining some resemblance of composure and cool off the heat of embarrassment that was threatening to swallow her whole turns out not to be an easy task at all, but, for some miracle - by the time Alex returns a few minutes later - that feeling gets completely erased and replaced by another, much more powerful one when the raven-haired woman, with a widening smile, presents her a small snack packet.

And then Piper truly doesn't know if she should laugh, or just follow the example of that something in her chest and... _melt_ a little at the thoughtfulness of the gesture.

She really doesn't have any control over it either way.

Just like the smile that stretches on her lips.

Unable to mask the note of amusement mingled with that dash of puzzlement that seeps into her voice when she reads the label.

 _"Dark chocolate almond clusters?"_

"Yeah... I know it hardly counts as a meal," Alex acknowledges rolling one shoulder in a half- shrug. "But... it's the healthiest thing I could find." She explains, as that little smirk finally emerges under that uncharacteristic thin layer of self-consciousness. "And an appropriate treat to restore some energy." She also adds, suggestively, instantly regaining her composure back and throwing her a wink.

And, once again Piper is left absolutely powerless against the grin that spreads across her face, digging dimples on her flushed cheeks.

She accepts the offered, relatively-healthy snacks feeling that same warmth that has claimed her face enveloping her from the inside too in front of that kindness, that thoughtfulness that she now knows quite well, being part of the raven-haired woman's true core, and not just an act made out of some sense of obligation to be nice with a client and please them however she can.

Piper knows that that's not who Alex is.

She knows now that a wild creature like her does nothing she doesn't want to do out of her own will, and the fact that Alex actually even just _thought_ about bringing her the snacks, is a gesture that in its simplicity and spontaneity whispers a few... _things_ that Piper doesn't want to listen too closely and risk reading too much into.

She holds back for a moment longer before voicing her thanks though. Because for how much she would like to properly express her gratefulness, once she remembers the way Alex has teased her about snacks when she let that detail slip last time, _well..._ She thinks that it's only fair if she returns the favor.

"It seems like I'm not the only one with an emergency snack drawer after all."

Alex winces a little at the reference. "...Touchè." She says, and, if possible, Piper's smile widens further in front of that look of who just got caught with the hand in the metaphorical cookie jar. Well... apparently _not-so-metaphorical_ after all.

Still, the thoughtful, incredibly kind offer dims the brightness of her smile into something softer and more grateful as she turns the little packet around in her hands. "Thank you Alex. But you really didn't have to."

On this, however, Alex seems to fully disagree.

"Oh, but I think I did." The raven-haired woman counters as she climbs once more onto the bed. "You see, it would give a very poor impression if I would just let you go like this. Swaying on your heels and faint at the front door. It's bad for business." She states with that exaggerated weight of seriousness in her expression that is betrayed by that same twinkle of mirth shimmering so beautifully into those smiling, rippling green pools.

"I believe it would be good publicity, actually." Piper retorts, pensively, while getting more comfortable by pulling herself further up and leaning back against the headboard, covering her front with the sheets and fixing it under her armpits like a dress. "This way people would know that those that frequent this place get their money well spent." She reasons, but upon hearing what might as well be a business-strategy, Alex's previous chuckle blossoms into a full, humorous, _beautiful_ laugh, and Piper is absolutely _delighted_ for having been able to elicit that sweetly husky sound without even meaning to.

It rumbles in her throat so softly and fills the air with even more warmth, rendering it infinitely pleasant and light.

It's as wonderful to hear it as it is seeing it shaping those gorgeous features, and of course, admire the way it reaches those magnetic eyes of hers from which Piper _barely_ manages to look away in time before she would find herself helplessly plunging into their depths once more.

"Is there any chance you are going to share this with me so I'll feel less guilty about cheating on my diet?" She asks Alex, holding up the packet of chocolates and tilting it towards her, not even looking surprised when her first response comes in the form of that amused little smile.

"A few of these would _hardly_ be considered as actual cheating," The raven-haired woman points out reassuringly. "But... I guess that if it would make you feel less guilty about it, then sure. After all, I would never leave a lady to eat alone." She states, oh so gallantly, with that teasing note that seems to border a little into a more seductive territory.

An impression that is reinforced by the wink that follows, and that most definitely _doesn't_ make Piper's heart trip over itself (or elicits another, brighter, warmer flush on her cheeks for that matter - of course not) before reaching into the little packet and grabbing a couple of clusters, popping one in her mouth.

"So... Ah..." Piper starts, conversationally, tearing her gaze away from Alex, all while trying not to moan around her own first bite, which smooth, enveloping taste of dark chocolate melting on her palate is perfectly balanced by that note of bitterness completed by the most delicate sweetness of the toasted almonds, creating a perfect bond in her mouth - because god knows what kind of further teasing letting that sound escape from her lips would earn her from Alex right now, who definitely won't just let such chance slip.

And so, instead, after swallowing down that moan along with that first bite, she decides to ask the raven-haired woman if "Does this kind of treatment fall also into the rest of your duties? Providing snacks to a client after a session, I mean." She specifies when Alex just tilts her head at her with that little frown knitting ever so slightly her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

Getting that note of teasing in her voice doesn't mask the genuine curiosity behind that question however, which doesn't fail in making Alex's lips twitch into a wider smirk.

"Well, _usually,_ the services I offer variate on the client's request," The raven-haired woman informs her, and... the mention of such thing instantly lights up a question in Piper's mind. Or rather a possible _request_ she might have been pondering over for some time...

"But no. This specific snack-in-bed service is usually _not_ included." Alex replies, frowning, as if suddenly reminding herself of something of a certain importance by providing such an answer. "Actually... food in general shouldn't be allowed in these rooms at all. Least of all this kind containing several allergens."

Piper is equally thrilled upon hearing that information or better yet receiving the confirmation that this is kind of a... _special_... circumstance, as she is surprised (and also a bit worried) knowing that Alex has brought her something to eat in here despite it being something _not allowed._

She automatically stops chewing, looking down at the packet in her hand as she swallows, and then looking between the folds of the sheets to check if she has left any crumbs around, before glancing back up at Alex, whose lips are curling into this huge, incredibly amused smirk.

"Don't worry, based on the known-allergies I ask everyone to compile before joining the club, I don't remember anyone of our contract clients being _allergic to nuts_... _Oddly enough._ "

Piper almost chokes upon hearing what turns out being an awful, yet incredibly clever quip that is both cringe-worthy and so absurdly amusing, especially considering the disgusted little sneer showing on Alex's face when she says that, before her expression chances once again, shifting to that deeply satisfied look when those bright emeralds happens to land on the sheets and, in particular, on the _damp patch_ left there.

"Also, those are going to need changing anyway."

Piper finds herself caught in between the absurd grasp of amusement and embarrassment, even though the sting left by the latest isn't half as uncomfortable as she expected it to be.

Because she knows that Alex _didn't_ say _that_ to mock her or humiliate her, but just _to tease her,_ which, considering the frequency she does that, might as well be one of her favorite things to do, and the soft light of humor shimmering into those green gems is the confirmation of that.

Still, Piper throws her a playful little glare. "Does this mean that you are breaking your own rules right now?"

"Well..." Alex drawls, chewing and thoroughly savoring the chocolate she just popped in her mouth before answering with the smuggest grin ever. "Every rule has its exception, _doesn't it?_ "

 _Ugh..._

 _God, this woman..._ Piper groans inwardly.

Always with the most perfect answer at the ready and that overly pleased, gorgeous smirk to accompany it.

It's _so_ incredibly _annoying_

...but also... kind of _sexy._

But that may be the slightly raspier quality in that exquisitely deep voice that always grows a bit deeper and gets slightly huskier with that hint of exertion after they... _well..._

Or maybe its the way she looks like this; laying so elegantly on her side, resting on one elbow, head propped up on her hand, black hair cascading down the side of her neck, toned long legs stretching down the length of the mattress - all perfect ivory skin draped by the soft, dark silk of that mid-thigh dressing gown...

She looks like a Queen.

...or a rather playful black panther.

Either way, she looks simply, effortlessly... majestic.

 _Regal._

As gallant as ever, giving further proof of a possible noble heritage in whatever _kingdom_ she might belong, Alex leaves her the last almond chocolate cluster left in the packet, but Piper insists that _she_ must be the one to take it because, after all "I'm not the only one who needs to regain some lost energies." She points out, although the way she says it sounds much more suggestive in a particularly... _seductive way,_ that gets further accentuated by the sly little smile tugging at her own lips, and that seems to absolutely delight Alex as much as it surprises Piper herself, but... _it works._

Alex accepts the last chocolate without any further arguing and with that trademark smile of hers that reaches those green gems and makes them shimmer with mischief and hilarity.

Piper could literally _lose herself_ counting the precious flecks of gold that this particular, lighter shade of aqua-green allows her to see laying at the bottom, and... for a few, long moments... _she does._

" _...Piper?_ "

Until that deep, sweetly husky voice brings her back from those depths.

She blinks back into focus, into the present, finding herself back into this room, where she is naked under the sheets draped around her torso, and Alex is laying beside her, propped on one elbow, wearing a thin dark dressing gown that for how simple looks so ridiculously elegant on her - and where they are sharing a packet of chocolates in between quips and a flow of banters that goes smoothly back and forth, and which intimacy doesn't even strike her as odd, even though the naturalness of the moment, the ease in it, does make her stomach erupt into a series of flutters.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asks somehow managing to disentangle herself from those... _feelings_ , greeted back by the sight of Alex smiling at her.

"I just wanted to know how's the beast." The raven-haired woman inquires, tilting her chin where her no-longer-growling stomach is hiding under the sheets wrapped around her torso.

Piper rolls her eyes, shaking her head, barely resisting the urge to groan. _This woman..._ she thinks once more, but the smile is already there, tugging at her lips (despite what she insists calling annoyance caused by that insufferably teasing nature; so inconsistent with that weirdly pleasant, fluttery sensation in her belly that might have even moved further up in her chest.

"Subdued, for the moment." She replies, indulgently, at last. Even if it seems like hunger is not the only monster to peek its head right now.

Because as soon as she finishes saying that, with her stomach temporarily content after the snacking, Piper gets hit by an unexpected wave of tiredness that makes her realize how drained this session left her.

She can feel it in her muscles, in her shoulders - stiff after having been restrained for a glorious half an hour of which she has cherished every single moment.

It seeps into her bones and it rises from her chest as a yawn that - even though she tries her best to suppress before it can grow into something more - it slips out anyway.

She still covers it with her hand, but Alex has already caught it.

The first thing that she expects from the raven-haired woman, is, of course, given the golden opportunity, some kind of quip, maybe even one of those soft, quiet, sweetly raspy chuckles.

Instead, when Piper, somehow tentatively glances back up at Alex, she is met with a surprisingly, unexpectedly guilty look, and a just-as-hesitant "I hope I haven't pushed you too hard."

There is no smirk, no smugness whatsoever showing on any of her incredibly expressive features, but there is an apologetic little smile twitching at the corner of her mouth.

"I must admit that I haven't taken into consideration the early appointment and the fact that you had to get back to work after this," Alex admits, looking as close to sheepish as Piper has ever seen her. A foreign sight (one that almost makes her rub her eyes out of bewilderment) although an endearing one. But it's that concern, and hearing that veiled apology what sparks once again that warmth that melts her a little further from the inside.

"You did everything I wanted," She tells Alex because even though it would be deeply amusing watching the raven-haired woman squirm for a few more moments and see her trying to... _adapt_ into the tighter, _scratchier_ suit of self-consciousness that simply doesn't _fit_ her whole demeanor, the need that Piper feels about soothing her doubts is much stronger, and she delivers it with a reassuring smile. "But the body has its limits." She also points out, feeling exactly the extent of those limits in her aching muscles and stiff junctures and... _pulsing_ on those others most sensitive, _intimate_ places of her body.

 _And you are pushing me beyond them, in the most enjoyable way,_ she adds silently between herself, but doesn't dare to voice that fact out loud, because she knows that _nothing_ would spare her from the smug grin that would most definitely reclaim those gorgeous features and take away that adorably (although unnecessarily) guilty look, if she would actually confess such thing to Alex so openly.

Instead, when a shiver elicited by a whisper of cold on her naked skin crawls up her back, she finds herself snuggling a bit more under the sheets, pulling them further up her body while also sliding down from the headboard, unable not to think about how soft and comfortable the bed is as she does so, humming in the back of her throat at the feeling of the foam mattress dip and mold under her weight to welcome and cradle her frame.

And even though the sheets are too thin to provide actual warmth, they still shield her cooling body from that slightly sharper air - from that gently brushing breeze brought in the room by the ventilation system.

As her head rests on the pillow, her eyes flutter automatically shut. And, this time, the contented sigh that slips from her smiling lips does earn her one of those soft, sweetly raspy chuckles she might have longed to hear...

But hearing that sound, especially with the light distortion coming from the world that is slowly beginning to fade around her as the heaviness of tiredness starts weighing on her eyelids, dragging her into a whole other dimension, makes Piper will her succumbing body to react and resist, while fighting against that drowsiness and another bigger yawn.

"I better get going," She states, even though the idea of getting up is the most less appealing to her right now. "...go take a shower before going back to work and-"

She barely manages to pull herself up by a couple of inches though when a hand, warm and soft on her shoulder, yet firm and purposeful in its gentleness, urges her back down onto the bed.

She blinks up at Alex, but even through her half-lidded eyes, she is still capable to see the smile gracing those lips with a hint of tentativeness.

 _"...stay."_ Alex tells her and there is a softness in her voice, a welcoming, enveloping warmth in the way she simply utters that single word, that incredibly tempting offer... Her tone so soothing and quiet that makes that suggestion all the more inviting.

But a part of Piper - the businesswoman in her - thinks about the reports on her desk, the preparation for the meeting tomorrow, the calls she has to make and...

"I should go..." She says but her voice sounds as weak as her wavering resolution, and when Alex insists with another inviting "Stay," and the following, reassuring "for as long as you need to" adorned with that same (although now considerably less tentative) soft smile, Piper starts to give in.

"You still have about ten minutes before the session ends anyway," Alex informs her, presenting her with what is probably the compelling argument. "And this is supposed to be _your time._ So you really shouldn't feel guilty about indulging if that's what you need right now."

Even feeling as drowsy as she is, Piper gets what the raven-haired woman is telling her.

She is right.

This is _her_ moment, dedicated to _herself._ The work waiting at her company, the pile of reports sitting on her desk, the unread emails, aren't going anywhere, and she already has tomorrow's meeting all planned out anyway, she just needs to discuss a few last details with Polly but-

 _Later,_ she tells herself, having made up her mind, even though it is the softness of Alex's look and that impossibly tempting offer (her second one today, so exceptionally kind in providing her what she needs in two separate ways that didn't involve the session itself but rather her recover) what, serves as the ultimate conviction.

"Okay," Piper nods at last, only to feel her heart flip into her chest in front of the smile that tugs at those lips. So simple, mischief-free for once and... absolutely gorgeous as it is in its naturalness.

"Would you... stay, too?" Piper finds herself asking then, hesitantly. "And keep me company?"

She doesn't even have the time to feel self-conscious and think that such request may be... _too much._ She doesn't have to. Just like she doesn't have to apologize for drawing the conclusion that Alex doesn't have anything _better_ to do than stay here and keep her company while she... takes a five minutes nap. Because that smile widens so naturally, instinctively, upon hearing that request. It reaches her eyes, and makes them sparkle like the most precious emeralds.

"Sure..." Alex answers, so easily, so matter of factly. And then as a further reassurance, whispered a bit more softly, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise you won't let me fall asleep either?" Piper asks her, or rather slurs, because that heaviness is dragging her further down, making her sink into the mattress despite her intention to not succumb to it but unable to fight for much longer against her heavy eyelids and the too-compelling thought of laying her head down for _just a couple of minutes._

"I'll wake you up," Alex assures her, her velvety voice as soft and as gentle as the most delicate caress. "I promise."

And it's that promise or rather that deep voice and the softness of that tone, what lulls her right to that place that stands in between sleep - right before that final jump into that vast realm - and wakefulness. Leaving her to wonder if she is actually dreaming or has simply just _imagined_ the feeling of a hand, the warm soft touch of gentle fingers tuck that rebel strand of hair brushing her cheek, behind her ear. Or even the thumb that may linger there for a few moments longer, tracing that shell with the same infinite softness.

All Piper knows is that she seeks more of it- of that... confidently firm gentleness.

Leaning blissfully into its warmth.

 **. . .**

 _"You went through my snacks again?"_

It's late, the club is empty and silent, and Alex has just finished taking care of the last few things - like check the takings, making sure everyone had left, turn off the hot tubs - just as she usually does before closing up and leaving - when Nicky's voice reaches her at the reception from the bar along with the sound of the fridge behind the counter getting opened, followed by the unmistakable clinking noise of glass against glass as her partner retrieves two beer bottles.

"Don't worry," Alex answers reassuringly, shutting down the screen of the reception before standing up and stretching her... uncharacteristically _sore_ back _._ She winces slightly and presses her hand on the lower part near her kidnesy as she rounds the desk and approaches the bar. "I went out earlier to get a few things and I've already restocked everything I took." She tells her friend.

"Yeah, I noticed." She hears Nicky chuckle. "Usually that's how I know you _did it,_ " Her friend tells her, flashing her an amused smirk as soon as she rounds the counter and steps into view.

"It's curious how that drawer tends to fill up with _extra treats_ whenever you _take_ something. You should really try that trick with the tip jar, Vause."

Now it's Alex's turn to chuckle at that quip, accepting the beer bottle that her friend uncaps for her and deciding to follow her to one of the small tables rounded by leather chairs near the window facing the street.

Taking a few minutes right now sounds truly wonderful. She's had... quite an _intense_ afternoon followed by a pretty busy night. And even though she usually doesn't drink beer, she welcomes its refreshing, sparkling coolness and the taste of that delicate note of honey in the end that erases that bitter bite of the brew that has touched her tongue at the first sip. She might even sigh as she follows her friend's example and sits down on one of the chairs, although she does so much more elegantly respect Nicky, who just drops, tiredly, unceremonious, on the one across from her.

"So, you got a sudden drop in blood sugar or something?" If it wasn't for the hint of that already-forming smirk and that mischievous, knowing _glint_ starting to shimmer into those dark eyes, Alex would even think - from that tone and the deceiving little crinkle forming between her eyebrows -that her friend was _concerned._

She takes a sip another sip of her beer, holding a perfect poker face, even though, at this point, she wonders why she keeps putting such effort. Because it's not like Nicky, after all these years, hasn't learned to read right through her.

Still, Alex keeps the nonchalant act on. "Yeah, something like that..."

Seeming to realize that she isn't going to get anything more, Nicky drops the subject, even though Alex already knows that her friend might have grasped the reason that brought her to go through her personal snacks after a session...

She can feel a smile twitching at her lips at the reminder, and promptly hides it against the bottle lip, without taking a sip though this time.

"Well," Nicky sighs accepting defeat and refraining (luckily) from inquiring about today's appointment and how it went, since it seems to have become her favorite thing to do lately. "You are welcomed to take anything from stash any time you want, partner. So keep that in mind for next week. It's going to be quite a _long_ night."

Her business partner can pretend to whine and groan and complain about all the preparations that stand behind such event, but Alex knows better, and she knows how much her friend _loves_ this particular occasion and getting ready for it. Probably even more than she herself does.

"You can't wait, can you?" Alex asks her, smirking knowingly and Nicky's eyes actually _sparkle_ with enthusiasm as her partner reveals that "I already got the suit I'm going to wear pressed, and the shoes polished."

"Of course you do." Alex chuckles. "I just hope they are going to properly fit in with the main theme though."

If possible, the sparkle of excitement into those dark pools brightens even more, lighting up her friend's entire face with the grin that stretches across her lips.

"Oh don't worry, Vause. You'll mistake me for a real gangster of the thirties." Her partner assures her, throwing her a wink.

Such excitement is deeply contagious, and Alex finds herself smiling as well.

"What about you though?" Nicky asks her then, unable to hide her obvious, bubbling curiosity. "Are you and Sylvia going to take the occasion to dress up as Bonnie and Clyde?"

Even though she knows that her partner is simply teasing her, Alex still frowns at that image, or rather at that assumption that she would even _think_ about doing something _like that_ and wear a suit matching with someone else's dress like a... _couple_ would do.

Her frown deepens at that thought.

"Why would I..." She starts asking only to shake her head and dismiss her own question, opting to tickle her friend's imagination instead in order to distract herself from that... uncomfortable sensation twisting in her stomach.

"I'm afraid that you'll have to wait to see my choice of clothing for the night." She says, even managing to flash a small, enigmatic smile before taking another sip from her beer, but something is still sitting wrong with her. _Weighting_ in her mind as much as that dull sensation that she can feel spreading further up into her chest.

"Also... Sylvia isn't coming." She informs, paying particular attention to the way Nicky might react at that bit of information, which, as Alex is starting to suspect, is the kind of detail her friend might have been subtly trying to get with that previous humorous comment.

"Being officially promoted to manager at the restaurant means that she has to stay beyond closing hours to take care of a few extra things, so I doubt she will make it."

It's a good thing, Alex thinks, that she is appreasing her friend so closely as she says that, otherwise the partial darkness would have even masked and prevented her to catch that look that crosses her Nicky's features when she informs her of the redhead's absence during the special night. But Alex doesn't miss the way her partner's expression drops a bit upon hearing that. Or the soft sound of not-quite-disappointment that slips past her lips.

" _Oh..._ I see."

What truly betrays her though, is the exaggerated nonchalance she puts in trying to settles into a more comfortable position on her chair, shrugging as if pretending that she doesn't care, which she obviously _does,_ and leaves Alex wondering if maybe, given how often such behavior is coming out lately, given the awkward smiles and stuttered greetings and all of the almost-painful charade she has to assist whenever her friend finds herself in the same room Sylvia is, it is the case maybe to go through the whole thing once more, even though Nicky has already, _repeatedly,_ waved off her... _concerns_ on the matter.

She really didn't want to bring it out in the open, mostly for her friend's sake knowing how much Nicky _hates_ this kind of things, but... Alex feels like she has no choice, and, at this point, she needs to have an answer and just know if her frequenting the redhead is having some impact on her best friend.

Because she knows who she would choose in that case.

Without even thinking about if for a second.

"Listen, Nicky," It's not the best of starts, she knows it, and it already, visibly, puts her friend on guard - even before she can settle her beer bottle on the small table between them and lean forward, resting her elbows on her knees and assuming that _serious-conversation-coming_ posture. But even though neither she or Nicky are much into straightforwardness (not even when more serious things are involved) that's still the approach she chooses to have over this issue.

"Are you sure you are okay with..." She gestures vaguely, awkwardly, with her hand. "You know..." She mumbles. "Me and Sylvia-"

"Jesus Christ..." As expected, her best friend groans, rolling her eyes. "This better _not_ be what I think it is, Alex." She warns pinching the bridge of her nose. "Not _again_. Because if it is _I swear to you_ -"

"I'm just asking to be sure." Alex defends firmly, successfully interrupting whatever threat her friend was about to throw her way and waiting until she has calmed down enough and released a steamed breath through her nose before continuing, even though deciding to skip the part about her not having been _so subtle_ in masking her... _appreciation_ towards the redhead lately. Because she would probably deny that and the exposure would most definitely bruise her ego, too.

And so, Alex, with an awkward, nonchalant little shrug reminds her that, "We aren't... _exclusive_ , you know." She doesn't know if that fact is supposed to feel comforting for Nicky or what. Because, after all, Alex could be wrong, about having read... things... in all of those occasions. She she just... throws that reminder there, deliberately avoiding her friend's gaze as she does so, leaving her that much of privacy at least and not reading into whatever her expression might give away before adding (much more tentatively) but with all of her honesty, "And if you'd want to give it a try... I wouldn't mind."

She really wouldn't. And a part of her knows that, at least in some minimal way, the thought should bother her a little, even if the other person - the so-called _competition -_ would be her very best friend in the world.

Or maybe _that fact_ should bother her a lot _more._ She really doesn't know...

All she knows is that when she dares to glance up again from the beer bottle in her hand, Nicky's eyes have widened like saucers upon receiving such a blatant suggestion. Her lips have parted with something like shock, but despite it, she still manages to snap her mouth shut before her jaw can actually drop.

But even though she succeeds in masking that expression pretty quickly, Alex should have knows that (even if her face shows still no trace of amusement) her actual response would have included shifting the whole conversation towards humor instead of the potential awkwardness it could bring if she would let it steer towards the much more serious and important core of the issue.

"Is this your way of telling me that you want to have a threesome with me and your non-girlfriend?"

 _There is it..._

"Because I'll tell you right now... I could give some thought into _that_ scenario." Her friend concludes throwing her a suggestive once over to which Alex simply responds by narrowing her eyes in a glare and flexing her jaw; fighting against the laugh that she feels itching and keeps trapped there in her chest.

It's not easy, but she won't allow humor to take over and let this whole conversation slip towards that easier route that Nicky usually takes and uses as a defense mechanism shortcut.

"I'm not joking, Nicky."

If the seriousness in her expression wasn't enough to prove that point, stating it openly definitely does.

Those dark chocolate eyes lock intensely with hers, mischievous smirk erased, as well as any trace of humor.

"I know, but this isn't high school either, Alex." Her friend says, somehow reprimanding, sounding maybe even a bit offended by the fact that she felt the need to bring up the subject.

"We are all grown women. And I already told you it was okay." Nicky repeats, almost exasperatedly. "Hell, I'm the one who has _encouraged you_ when I saw that there was some... potential there." She reminds, running a hand through the unkept mass that is her reddish-blonde hair, sighing and taking a long breath to recollect her thoughts and get a hold of her emotions, finally seeming to have realized that Alex doesn't have any intention to let this thing slide without receiving a proper answer first.

"Would I like to knock boots with your super hot pseudo-girlfriend? Yes." She admits, guiltily, but it hardly surprises Alex hearing what she already suspected. "But I would also like to do that with half a dozen of regulars that I see coming here every night."

The humor that has been bubbling inside her chooses the worst possible moment to come out but, between Nicky's previous... _invitation,_ and the " _knocking boots"_ part, Alex has to lick her lips to hide the smile that she can feel starting to form there. Barely refraining from asking her friend if she happens to act like a babbling idiot in front of the rest of the clientele here at work too, because if that is the case, she should _really_ spend less time at the reception then and enjoy such an endearing sight.

"...But anything _more_ ," Nicky continues, pulling her out from those thoughts, and Alex already knows even before she sees her friend shaking her head and looking positively terrified even just at the mere _thought_ of getting into something that isn't strictly a one-night thing. "Nuh uh. I don't think so." She concludes taking a long, generous sip from her beer, craving for the light sting it brings as if to wash off and drown all of the uncomfortable emotions that such speech must have triggered in her.

There are... _reasons,_ behind such approach.

Not the drinking, but the one night stands her friend indulges into every once in a while.

 _Justifiable reasons._

Even if old ones.

And Alex is starting to wonder... "Why?"

She decides to just ask it at last. Not to annoy her or prying, but because she is sincerely curious about why, after all this time, her friend still refuses to even _try_ getting to know someone a bit more deeply, despite being indeed surrounded by women who fall under her unique, pungent humor and just-as-compelling charm. Because she knows, despite the bar not being the place she spends most of the time, that there isn't a night where she doesn't find her best friend surrounded by women at the counter, whenever she finds herself nearby. All of them attracted by her peculiarity and colorful personality.

For the first time since she has sat down talking with her friend, Nicky doesn't try to come up with something humorous to divert the conversation towards that safer route (and most likely dismiss it by doing so).

She grows a bit pensive instead, and... quite serious.

Alex can easily tell so from the way she avoids her gaze, releases a long breath through her nose and relents the nervous, restless bouncing of her leg and starts playing absently with the ring resting on the annular finger of her right hand still holding loosely the beer bottle instead.

It would look quite a casual gesture.

 _Distracted_ even.

But Alex knows it's far from that.

Just like she knows the answer that she is about to receive.

"My... My Sponsor." Nicky murmurs at last. "She... she said it was best to not get involved in anything with anyone for at least a year..."

Alex had a feeling she was going to hear that excuse again.

But it doesn't render her any less immune to that wave of sadness coming off from her best friend.

It clenches her heart and forms a little knot in her throat.

But that's hardly enough to prevent her from speaking, leaning forward once more and laying a gentle hand on her friend's knee when that nervous, frantic, bouncing starts once again.

It stops as soon as she lays her hand there and then, those dark eyes, the color of melted dark chocolate, find hers with tentativeness, still filled with all of that old sadness.

"That was almost _two years_ ago, Nicky." Alex tells her, softly, as if afraid to spook her and disrupt this delicate balance her friend didn't make it easy for her to get to.

"You are no longer a recovering addict." She continues, smiling at her, reassuringly.

"You haven't had relapses, or fallen back into bad habits." _Well..._ exception _made for some occasional drinking,_ she thinks, eyeing the beer bottle, but there are only a few things that can be taken from her best friend at once. Alcohol drugs and sex _together_ would have been _too much._

Two out of three has been somehow more manageable. And Alex has been there to make sure she didn't sway during her recovering journey. As much as she could anyway.

And as much as Nicky _allowed that._

"Yeah, right." She hears her best friend scoffs, awkwardly, self-reprimanding, bitterly, shaking her head... but not pulling back from the hand still resting comfortingly on her knee. "And neither I did last time," She reminds. "At least _until_..."

Her voice trails off then, and those dark, expressive eyes of hers grow distant, pensive, mournful. Assuming that look that Alex knows far too well and that makes her own heart crack a bit open.

There is no need for her friend to continue.

She knows that story.

 _She knows_ how _good_ Nicky was doing two years ago.

So good that she had started seeing someone. Inevitably let her guard down, fell in love, and everything was good until...

Until she got her heart broken.

Or maybe, thinking better of it, _brutally shattered_ would be the most appropriate description actually.

Alex doesn't think she has ever seen anyone suffer the way her best friend had in that period.

She can't and doesn't even want to imagine how horrible that pain must feel like.

It was more than enough for her to see the strong woman she thinks of as a sister reduced to the shadow of herself.

As she shakes herself from that dark period and those awful memories, Alex knows that she has two choices here.

She could coddle her friend and bring back up the past, risking to re-open those still tender wounds. _Or..._ she could just give her that extra, encouraging push that would kick away that self-pity that might still linger under that armor made of sarcasm and pungent humor.

Having reached her decision (the only reasonable decision) Alex takes the beer bottle from her friend's hand and sets it down on the table beside her own, ignoring the "hey!" of protest that doing so earns her, and just preparing to give her friend the speech that she should have given her a long time ago if this is really what has been stalling her.

"Look, it's happened to everyone, okay? But you can't hold back forever from getting yourself into the game again just out of fear about what _could_ or _could not_ happen if you get to know a little better someone you like, Nicky."

Her friend is _not_ a coward.

But if such motivation, if that fear is indeed what has sunk its fangs so deeply into her that she keeps bleeding because of it after all this time, then Alex must find a way to tear it out of her.

A few, long moments of silence pass, but when Nicky's gaze finds hers again, this time out of her own volition - slowly lifting it from where it had been distractedly fixed on the floor - the last thing Alex expect to see on her friend's face, once the thick mass of her hair allows her to take a glimpse of it, is a smile.

And that's already enough to throw her off balance.

But not as much as the question that Nicky presents her just a moment later.

"Is that why you hold back, too?"

The quizzical inquiry comes with a curious, deeply attentive and quite knowing look.

As if her friend has _just_ realized _something_ she couldn't piece together before. Like in one of those optical illusions where she couldn't see the other figure hiding within the same image, but that looks just so obvious and clear to her right now that she can't see _anything else_ beside it.

Alex, however, just frowns under such scrutiny, _utterly confused._

"What?" She asks, but ends up dismissing the question before she can actually give a chance for Nicky to answer it, realizing that this is most certainly one of her friend's attempts to divert her attention from the subject. From _herself._

"Look, all I'm saying is that you deserve a chance to try." Alex summarizes. "I mean... After all this time... You have matured, Nicky. And might even own it to yourself to give it a try."

She knows that her words hit a spot. Nicky visibly reacts to them but... Alex can still see it.

As soon as she concludes that speech.

That expression on her partner's face.

That soft-looking smile that seems to see right through her lingering confusion and pick up that unconscious part of her that has understood ( _perfectly_ ) her friend's previous, quizzical question.

"So you don't think you do then?" Nicky asks her this time and... Alex's had _enough_ of this game.

"Why are you trying to make this about _me_?" She demands, trying not to lose her patience even though she is pretty damn close to exasperation. "We are talking about _you_ here, Nicky."

"Are we?"

The softness of the tone and the unexpected gentleness that she finds in the smile that her friend is giving her - which is actually almost startling in its nature - doesn't make that question sound like an accusation, but it still makes Alex stiffen up.

The implication in there is more than enough. And this time she doesn't dare to say anything and risk putting herself under the spotlight instead. Not that she'd have anything to hide. Even though... That look that Nicky is giving her makes her realize that there might be _something_ that she herself hasn't properly acknowledged yet.

...or deliberately decided to dismiss and look past it.

Whatever the case may be, all she knows for sure is that if this is some kind of trick Nicky is playing (which wouldn't surprise Alex in the slightest if it were) just to get her off her back and to make her stop fussing over her brooding state, then she has most definitely succeeded in diverting the entire focus of the conversation.

"I better get going," Nicky says, standing up, groaning when her knees pop as she does so, and reaching for her beer on the table before Alex can wrap her mind around what exactly her friend might have been alluding to, or even think about how to respond to her not-accusation.

"You finished with yours?"

Alex blinks out from the haze of doubts and confusion clouding her mind, glancing down at the beer bottle left on the table.

There isn't much left, but she doesn't feel like finishing it with the swirl of emotions that has started twisting in her stomach just as the doubts are doing in her mind.

She just shakes her head at last and wordlessly passes it to her friend, who finishes it in one big gulp.

"I'll get out the trash tonight," She tells Nicky as soon as she feels like she has regained enough of her composure back, standing from the chair and taking the two empty bottles from her. "You go ahead and go home, I'll finish down here. I... I got a few things that I need to... sort through, back in my office anyway." She lies, plainly. Poorly. And for a moment, Nicky (so completely unconvinced by such excuse) looks like she might call her out on that one or even just protest about her staying late, but then, sensing the need for space in that badly veiled lie, she just nods.

"Sure. Just... don't stay too late, okay partner?" Her friend tells her, with genuine concern etching her features, even though that question seems to once again be referring to that _something else_ they have been not-quite-discussing in the past few minutes, making that recommendation sound more like a _"Try to not overthink stuff"_ and her look of concern appears more like one of apology for having elicited such reaction in her.

Alex however, simply nods in response, going to retrieve the trash bag filled with empty bottles from behind the counter and throwing away the two in her hand while her friend slips into her coat and gets ready to leave.

She doesn't though.

Not immediately. And Alex can feel that dark gaze piercing her back in the stillness of the moment until, at last, she decides to just turn around.

"What _is it,_ Nicky?"

"Look, I eh... I appreciate the pep talk." Her friend tells her, honestly, even if awkwardly. "I do. And I promise I'll give it some thought. But..." She pauses, pondering over a thought that is making her quite squirmy. "In case, after you have... _sorted things through in your office,_ you'll need a listening ear... you know you can always borrow mine."

Alex doesn't reply to that. Mostly because she doesn't know _how,_ since she is not used to hear her best friend make such an offer.

It's just not something that they generally do actually.

The whole confiding-thing. Not in such a direct way anyway as most people do, but... she does chuckle when her friend throws her what's supposed to be a wink meant to add lightness and that hint of comforting playfulness to that offer, before deepening her voice and adding a sultry, teasingly seductive "The good one, too."

That little laugh that she breathes through her nose seems to be enough for Nicky, who, apparently, really didn't seem willing to leave without some kind of reassurance that they are... _good_ , even if they have both kind of got deep into a particularly delicate conversation that has ended up eliciting a lot of confusing, _troubling_ feelings in both of them.

"Goodnight Nicky."

"Night partner." With that and one last smile, Nicky heads for the front door and leaves, venturing into the dark cold winter night.

Alex watches her go until she is out of sight and then sighs, looking around the quietness of the club; an emptiness into which her friend's earlier words and implication seems to echo much louder in her mind, no matter how hard she tries to push them into the background.

Inevitably though, even if just the thought alone makes her uncomfortable for reasons she still doesn't want to look too much into, she tries to picture how a relationship - _a real, committed relationship_ \- with Sylvia would look and feel like. Because that's what her friend must have been hinting at earlier by turning those questions back to her, _right?_

And if that's the case, then sure... She has definitely no problem in admitting that she obviously likes the redhead. She is funny, smart, very attractive, and the sex is good enough that Alex has collected a fair amount of pleasant memories whenever they end up in bed.

 _But..._

Somehow, she still finds herself frowning.

As if there is a component there, in those thoughts, in those actual moments that she has lived, that is simply... _missing._

 _Something_ that she searches for and that her mind, eventually, provides.

But with images taken from a more recent memory...

A memory where those gray eyes lose their glint of mischief and gain a color that resembles more the one of a clearer, warmer summer sky filled with wonder.

Where the loud groans of pleasure are replaced by a softer, breathier, quivering gasp.

And where a sultry laugh and sharp, seductive smile is replaced by a smoother one laced with an attractive layer of shyness and adorned by... _twin dimples._

Alex tears herself away from those thoughts only to feel her own heart jolting, _hammering_ in her chest. Violently enough to make her breath stutter.

Even that feeling in her stomach is back.

That weird, fluttery-like sensation that she finds worrying in its foreignness. But also, undeniably... _pleasant._

She does her best to ignore it, dragging the trash bag over to the front door, deciding that the few things she needs to take care of in her office can wait till tomorrow.

She just retrieves her things and coat before closing up.

Because even though work helps her in setting her mind straight, right now she really craves the night air.

Hoping that its cold embrace will bring some numbness to that swirl of sensations rolling excitedly inside of her and that keeps making her heart flip helplessly all over itself in an equally excited, frantic staccato.

A morse code that spells trouble and that hammers even more relentlessly against her ribs whenever her mind drifts back to earlier this afternoon.

To that post-coital moment spent in between genuinely easy laughs and light teasing and...

 _Fuck._

Maybe, after all, Nicky _wasn't_ talking about Sylvia earlier.

And, as if it weren't enough, adding to that thought follow all the others about the very recent times her friend has teased her (and not-so-subtly inquired) about her sessions with...

The slap of realization is far sharper than the one she receives once she steps outside and into the night, which chilly embrace though does absolutely _nothing_ to soothe that feeling that is still there, coiling in her stomach... and sneaking further up into her chest.

There is no other way for her to describe it that isn't glorious and terrifying at the same time.

And what scares her the most is exactly that inconsistency.

...or maybe it's the way such sensation tickles her heartstrings.

* * *

 **I think that some questions, as well as some doubts, might have received an answer in this chapter... Ah, when I say you guys need to trust me and let the story unfold and you don't because you are just so impatient, even though... I might take a certain pleasure in teasing :P**


	15. Chapter 15

Hello there

So, I know it has taken me a while to post this chapter and that you just want to get to it already, but before you do I would like to say a few things.

First of all, I would like to thank all of the readers and reviewers who have shown kindness and patience with the updates. You really seem to understand that writing (in a language that isn't mine, and in a new style I'm still occasionally struggling with) can take some time. I appreciate that _immensely._

To all the others however I would just like to remind that I do this in my free time, and for how flattering the requests for updates can be, when those request turn into actual _demands_ like "hurry" and "this must be updated today" well... I think it would get on anyone's nerves.

I admit that I haven't read a fanfiction in a very, very long time, but I remember that some of the authors I followed in other fandoms sometimes took even _months_ to post an update, and I understood that, even if at the time I wasn't writing yet and never harrassed anyone with updates. _Ever._ Because we all have duties and errands to run and get more or less busy with real life stuff.

Maybe things in this fandom work differently. I really wouldn't know. I have read maybe four or five Vauseman fanfics, _years ago,_ but I still doubt that the authors here post updates every half an hour or even every week on the dot. But if they do, they have all of my admiration.

All of this to say (or rather repeat for what seems like the third time) that: I'll update when the chapter is ready and when I have the time. If something in the chapter doesn't convince me, I simply won't post it. I prefer take a day, two or even more to fix it. So you can beg and demand all you want but it's simply useless and, after a while, it can get a bit annoying, too.

So, to summarize, thanks to all the wonderful, patient readers who have been so kind to wait and allow me to post something (a _very long_ chapter) I'm content with :) Also, to those wondering about the fate of this story, like I said, I've been thinking about posting it for about a year, but it _has_ its beginning and its conclusion. Although, I admit that if all those demands for updates keep showing up, I might decide to crop some parts of the story.

Now, here's your chapter...

And yes... The "open doors" night is officially _open_ ;)

Enjoy

* * *

It's a good thing, Piper believes, that she asked Alex to send her more informations on the dress code that she mentioned about the event.

The special night in fact, as it turns out - and also as Alex has assured her with a note in the email she sent her - doesn't really require to dress up as instructed by the invitation in order to even just step foot into the club. But... for those among the contract clients that want to completely _immerge_ into this very special evening as Piper most definitely wants and has been looking forward to for weeks now - ever since that invitation has been presented to her - then the dressing up part is one of those details that will make the whole _immersing_ process into that specific ambiance all the more realistic and _thrilling_ , she believes.

There is nothing, however, in her vast wardrobe - filled with mostly formal business attires and a few, far-too-casual (and rather worn out) jeans and sweaters - that would be considered an adequate choice. And so, she does the only reasonable thing.

She rents a costume.

A real dress from the thirties used for movies set in that specific period.

The first reaction that she gets upon her arrival at the club on the long-awaited special night even before entering, is a very positive one that only boosts her own enthusiasm and confidence about making such a daring choice.

Showing a particular appreciation is the bouncer standing by the entrance, who waves her closer from where she is patiently waiting down the line.

"Well, someone put a lot of effort tonight." The woman with the bun and shaved sides haircut comments, flashing her this smile of blatant approval as she scans her over. "Can't keep you out here in the cold like this. Go ahead and get inside, blondie."

She might look a bit intimidating with that very masculine approach and the tough, chubby-bulky appearance, but Piper suspects that the woman might just look rougher in her role as bouncer than what she probably is when not working.

There is just something about her that makes Piper think that her bark might be worse than the actual bite, but it's also true that most of the times barking can be more than effective to get rid of the occasional troublesome client who's had one too many glasses and got... a bit handsy - which is probably the maximum extent of trouble that a nightclub like this can get.

Either way, Piper gratefully thanks the woman for letting her in, all while doing her best to ignore the irritated huffs and chorus of "not fair" and other protests coming from all the other ladies that have been waiting in line before her.

She just pushes the door open, and slips into the club.

...only to get thrown almost a century back in time as soon as she steps inside.

The soft, warmer lights, the surrounding, and the music, which filters through the speakers of the sound system as it would from an old gramophone, lends the modern nightclub an entirely different look.

The entire surrounding is different.

The furniture has been replaced and moved around appositely for the evening, and if she wasn't so sure to be in the right place, Piper would even believe that she had stepped into the wrong club.

The bar, and the stage with the dancers (which seem to have come straight out from an old burlesque movie) are the only two unchanged locations that serve her as the only points to orientate her when doubt gets a grasp on her for a second.

She is just... impressed.

Setting everything up must have been quite a challenging work.

The whole club has that vibe that she can imagine a speakeasy bar must have had back in the latest twenties. But if there is one thing that she has gotten the chance to learn (as well as experience once a week) is how very _thorough_ Alex is. Even with the smallest, most minimal details. And here, tonight, Alex's refined touch is visible in everything.

Piper can practically breathe that impeccable taste in every decoration and elegant piece of furniture that surrounds her and adorns the place.

But it's the thought of the raven-haired woman what makes her stomach erupt into a series of powerful flutters.

She looks around.

 _Hopeful._

Past the quietly chatting patrons gathered at the bar, and the others sipping drinks while admiring the dancers on the stage swaying at the rhythm of an old, old song.

She even finds herself holding her breath when she shifts her gaze towards the busy reception, over to the spot that she knows is usually occupied by the very same woman that has invited her to this very promising event, but where right now a young smiling redhead with a finger wave hairstyle is settled instead, who seems to have taken over Alex's place in greeting the clients and checking their reservation.

Piper instantly deflates, releasing the breath that she has been holding, shoulders sagging a little, as that feeling in her stomach grows less invading, caving a little on itself in what feels a bit like disappointment.

She doesn't allow that feeling to get to her too much though, because she knows that Alex must obviously be around, _somewhere._ She is either taking care of some important, pressing matter or maybe even-

 _"Excuse me, Miss?"_

Just when Piper was starting to consider going over to the crowded bar and take a closer look to see if maybe the woman protagonist of her thoughts could be there among the bartenders, helping in serving drinks, she hears it.

 _That voice._

She instantly recognizes it.

Even under all of the distractions humming all around the club it still flits in between the nostalgic music from the latest twenties and the light chatting coming from the bar and tables resting under the stage, where the dancers keep entertaining with the most fluent moves that are suggestive in the most subtle and elegant ways.

Her heart trips over the next beat upon hearing that deep, unmistakable, velvety-smooth voice. Jolting in her chest, and slamming, hard, against her ribcage, only to resume beating double time in the moment she turns around and...

"I couldn't help but notice you coming in and then looking around... Are you searching for someone?"

 _There she is..._

As playful as ever. Clearly unable to resist the temptation, Alex greets her with that question paired with a deceiving innocent frown of curiosity that couldn't be more incongruous with the smile that - even though it tugs so lightly at those lips to be almost imperceptible - it glimmers in full strength into those breathtaking emeralds eyes of hers from behind those dark-framed glasses, rippling with that breeze of amusement, and glittering with the most open appreciation when that gaze drifts down her frame. Appreasing her in a slow once-over before returning to meet her eyes again.

"Maybe I can help."

Piper isn't even aware of the smile that has formed on her lips, only acknowledging it when she feels her cheeks stretching to make space for it as if claims her face, and she barely manages to suppress it in time from growing into a full grin in order to keep... whatever _this thing_ that Alex has started is. Far too curious to know where it will lead them if she keeps the game standing for a little longer.

"That depends..." It's how she decides to reply, eventually, carefully, elusively, turning to properly face the raven-haired woman and even managing to return that pretended look of mild curiosity with a credible frown when she asks her if "You are familiar with this place? Come here often?"

It should be ridiculous, really, asking such question to the very club owner hosting the entire night, pretending to not even know her, especially considering how... _intimate_ they got, but there is just something into this improvised dynamic that intrigues Piper and, somehow, despite the humor bubbling inside her, the spark that she feels tingling up her spine at the prospect of where this might be going, is much stronger; more than enough to keep her on alert and prevent her from even accidentally steering from this delicate, curious route and its promising... potential.

Although there is nothing she can do to prevent some of that humor that has been swelling in her chest to spill from her lips when Alex, with an eye roll, answers her by admitting that "I'm here _so often_ that one of the owners might be getting sick to see me every night."

Piper laughs.

And that soft smooth chuckle is all it takes to earn her a delightful smile.

"What about you though?" Alex asks her, trying so hard herself to keep that smile from fully blossoming into one of those gorgeous grins. "I must say, seeing a nice lady like you in a place like this..." She shakes her head as her voice trails off, even though the look of appreciation on her face grows, becoming more and more visible as that gaze traces her frame once more, taking the chance to get a glimpse through the gap of her opened coat at the original blue and silver flapper dress that she has rented.

Not even pretending to be surprised - even though she is undeniably thrilled - when those green eyes happen to linger on her long, stocking-clad legs, and, more specifically, on the ankle strap heels that she has chosen to wear.

"I should know better though," Alex says, finishing her sentence, sighing in self-reprimand, tearing her gaze away from her smooth, toned calves with a certain reluctance, and meeting her eyes with a fierce intensity; so dark, and filled with many unnamed things that makes that gaze all the more compelling. "Looks can be _exceptionally_ deceiving."

Having that piercing gaze, those precious emeralds - which, all of a sudden, seems to have turned the color of a forest at dusk; all dark green and shades of blue and gray sprinkled with the gold of the first few shafts of sunlight filtering through the tree crowns - locked with hers, makes Piper _quiver_ from the inside out.

Everything that surrounds her seems to grow dull and muted against the strong beats of her own heart, which grows frantic and excited under that intense scrutiny.

She swallows in a futile attempt to get a hold of herself, will that frantically beating muscle to settle back down into her chest, and bring some moisture in her mouth before answering.

"I... I've just recently joined in as a client and got invited for the evening." She explains, and even though she is starting to get very comfortable into this little _"pretend we are stranger"_ game, she is unable to not let some of her true self emerge from under that mask and release a nervous little chuckle before admitting, with the tinge of a blush faintly coloring her cheeks, that "I was actually hoping to take someone by surprise, but..."

Her voice may trail off with a hint of bared disappointment, but it doesn't get the chance to swell into something bigger and more uncomfortable. Getting completely erased, _eclipsed_ into nothingness in front of the soft smile that she sees instantly curling on Alex's lips.

"I believe you already did."

The reassurance might be uttered quietly, but Piper still hears it perfectly, even above the music and chatting and laughters and clinking glasses echoing mutely all around her. All sounds that reach her with a distortion compared to the smoothness of that exquisitely deep voice.

And the look that accompanies such reassurance, the soft gleam into those marvelous emerald lakes, makes her next breath catch in her throat.

But even if all of that raw, open appreciation showing in the way Alex is looking at her (as if they were there, alone, and not in her currently busy club buzzing all around with excitement) is enough to make Piper swoon a little, it's still nothing compared to the jolts that her heart does when Alex takes a step closer and leans in, close enough to whisper in her ear.

"You look _stunning_ , Piper."

It's not even the compliment itself, but it's a combination of the profound sincerity in it and the way those lips brush against her cheek, that warm breath tickling her skin, what makes that sparkle in Piper's stomach flare up to its brightest, scalding her from the inside out.

She is equally glad and disappointed when Alex pulls back. Her closeness and the whiff of that unique fragrance that she has managed to catch and that fits the raven-haired woman _so perfectly,_ leaves her craving for more. But the warmth of her presence is still there; in the smile she is met with as soon as those eyes scan her over one more time.

"And the dress isn't bad either." She adds, with just that drop of playfulness in her tone that is supposed to help her regain some more of her composure back.

It doesn't work.

Piper thanks her with a breathed little chuckle, hoping that the lights in here are dim enough to shadow (at least in part) the flustered blush tinging her cheekbones. "You too look very..." She pauses but not as much in search for words as to actually try to get a firmer hold on herself after taking a better look at Alex and the attire she has chosen to wear for tonight:

An old-fashioned, black pinstripe suit. A dark gray vest and white tie peeking from underneath it, and... expensive, perfectly polished black and white oxford shoes to complete her whole look.

Piper wouldn't have any problem imagining her leaned against a wall, wearing a trilby gangster hat and flipping a coin in her hand. And she has to admit that this... particular attire lends her that criminal, mobster look from the twenties, coloring her in a darker, sharper shade of danger that for how odd, it... kind of _suits_ her.

Alex clearly (unsurprisingly) put quite some effort in every little detail.

Although, the vest in particular, is the one that Piper finds herself more attracted to. Maybe because it reminds her of the first time with the raven-haired woman...

She remembers clinging to it while she was laying on her side, one leg hooked on Alex's waist while her hips rolled forward, chasing the rhythm of that delightful touch until she was about to-

"...and the club!" She exclaims, voice ringing awkwardly high-pitched as she tears herself away from those very dangerous, wonderfully compelling memories, desperately seeking for a distraction, pausing to look around at the surrounding once more, paying a bit more of attention and taking in all of those details she has caught a glimpse of upon entering a few minutes ago, like the old fake barrels of "smuggled" liquor cleverly used as decoration around the bar itself.

"So, _Prohibitionism,_ uh?" She asks Alex, tentatively, cautiously, meeting her gaze once again and still hoping that the soft lights are doing their job in concealing the signs of her flustered state from the incredibly attentive woman.

Alex rolls one shoulder in a half-shrug, a smile tugging subtly on her lips, but sparkling brightly in her eyes with humor.

"What can I say? The other thing that people seem to love most than indulge in something bizarre, is doing it while reliving a time period where _other things_ were forbidden..."

Piper had a feeling that that one was the reason behind the main theme set for the night's event.

She had guessed as much as soon as she saw the information that Alex sent her about the dress code for the evening, and all she has to say about it, is just reinforce how much the efforts put into all this work (which, she can imagine must have been pretty challenging) is appreciated.

"It truly looks wonderful, Alex. You have really outdone yourselves." She compliments, knowing that her shorter, humorous counterpart must have helped a great deal as well.

Much to her surprise, however, when - after one last general look around - her gaze returns to meet Alex's, for once, there is no trace of the smug little smirk that she expected to see shaping those lips. Instead, Alex accepts the compliment with a grateful smile and a simple "thanks", before tilting her head down and adjusting her glasses.

It's a display of modesty, Piper believes. One that takes away whatever casualness from that gesture however. An impression that is reinforced when Alex looks up at her again, and with an unexpected dash of tentativeness, she awkwardly asks her if "So... uh, would you like to get a drink or something?"

She doesn't exactly stammer. Her composure might be slipping a little, but not that much. She regains it quite easily, getting a tighter grip at it in just a few moments and making her next suggestion sound as confident as she always is. "I can mix up a margarita for you in no time if you want." She offers.

And there it is...

That same thoughtfulness that warms Piper from the inside and clenches her heart in that grasp that is both elation and that same hint of sadness that never fails to present whenever she thinks that Alex is the first one in a very long time to be so kind with her without asking for anything in return. The only one who just wants to make her feel comfortable above anything else even though she has absolutely no obligation to be anything other than welcoming as she is with her usual customers.

Piper really hopes that the smile that she feels curling on her lips and blossoming until it digs twin dimples on her cheeks, shows all of her gratefulness.

"Thank you," She answers, but still shakes her head in negative at the generous offer. "But I'm good for now."

A drink might definitely ease the jittery nerves fluttering in her stomach, but... she kind of _enjoys_ that feeling.

That sense of anticipation and wonder about the unknown that is about to be revealed... Although, even if she can't wait to find out what the night holds, she suspects that such sensation might be elicited mostly by... _Alex's presence._

"Too impatient to find out what happens behind the _open_ doors, are you?" Alex guesses, knowingly, seeming to have (unsurprisingly) caught _that look_ in her eyes. Quite aware that patience isn't a virtue that she possesses in certain, _specific_ circumstances, but also... something that she is learning to tame. Especially when Alex's torturous, delightfully teasing touch is involved.

Piper blushes guiltily upon hearing that rightful guess, feeling that same heat flare brighter in her stomach and radiating further up in her chest, spreading through her body and scalding her face, from her cheekbones to the tip of her ears when that rather _intimate_ thought flashes across her mind.

"That's perfectly fine," The raven-haired woman assures her, with that same warm note of amusement seeping into her smooth, deep voice, somehow rendering that response all the more comforting. "But before we get to that..." She pauses, leaving Piper to smile through a puzzled frown at the slender hand that gets extended to her.

"Come with me." Alex simply invites, tilting her head towards the long hallway leading into the depths of the crowded club. "I have something for you..." She says, flashing her an encouraging smile, which layer of mystery has Piper's confusion shift into thrilling curiosity.

She truly feels like has no choice but slip her hand into that warm soft palm, surrendering to that instinct beating excitedly in her chest. Powerless to do anything except try not to swoon when she sees Alex's smile grow even fuller, reaching those enchanting green eyes of hers, making them glitter so beautifully.

And the mischievousness that Piper finds in there, rippling just under the surface of those lakes, feeds even more that sense of curiosity and anticipation that expands in her chest along with that unnamed _something else_ when Alex's thumb (perhaps accidentally) traces the back of her hand and strokes her knuckles in the lightest caress before tugging her along, holding her with both gentleness and firmness, and never letting go as she opens a gap through the crowd into which they slip smoothly in between, but... definitely _not_ undetected by a few prying eyes.

 **. . .**

Alex ends up leading them in the safe confines of her office, where the music and the rest of the club is but a dull buzz between these walls. But there is a whole other, much louder and more frenetic kind of excitement that Piper can feel fluttering in her stomach, thrumming through her system and flooding her veins with something hot and electric when that something that Alex has mentioned having for her, turns out being...

" _A collar_?"

In between all the emotions that rise and battle for supremacy within her when Alex presents her that refined, black leather... _accessory_ , gently pulling it out from the gift box where it was cozily nestled into, Piper truly doesn't know how she should react.

Her expression breaks in between bewilderment, surprise and what might very well be a dash of bashfulness, or so it seems considering the familiar heat that rises to scald her cheeks, but which nature seems to have origin much lower... In the depth of her fluttering belly.

And it's exactly that feeling in particular that resonates above all the others, extending further down and starting to... pulse, in a rather _familiar_ way at the images that inevitably flash in her head as she thinks about that item's use and... _purpose._

"It's... Let's call it _a symbol_ of sorts." Alex tells her, cryptically. "This way the clients taking part in the sessions as well as the entertainers leading them - will know that you are still going through some basic training."

The doubt and confusion that had made Piper tense up with a tiny bit of apprehension, get instantly washed away her by such explanation. Because _of course_ that there was some thoughtfulness and concern at the base of such gesture, of such an odd... _gift..?_

She should have guessed as much but... Even as her posture relaxes, relieved from that weight that had settled in her chest, she can't help but feel a bit self-conscious upon hearing that Alex still considers her as an excitable puppy under training.

 _An excitable puppy who needs..._

Her gaze drifts down to the leather collar resting in Alex's palm.

She swallows.

... _discipline,_ apparently.

Okay. So _maybe_ self-consciousness is not all she feels considering the other, much more _vicious pull_ that starts gripping at her from the inside at the thought of wearing such item in a _specific_ occasion...

Still, urged by the curiosity to know, she can't help but ask Alex for confirmation if, "Are you saying that I'm still basically a _novice_?"

Her intent is _not_ to sound _so_ offended...

Because she _isn't._

 _...Ugh,_ okay, _fine._ Maybe she _is,_ just a little bit though. But only in that playful kind of way that should have been reinforced by the slightly narrowed look that she is currently throwing to the raven-haired woman, but... she realizes that her tone, the sharper note that has seeped into it without her consent, and the way she has unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest somehow protectively, might have betrayed her on that intent. And she also realizes that her "supposedly-playful" glare might hold a bit too much of accusation after all.

The result?

Alex's lips stretch into a smile.

That equally gorgeous and infuriating trademark smirk of hers.

And, as a consequence, upon seeing it blossom to its full beauty, Piper blushes the color of a chinese lantern.

 _If only she could float out the window as one, too..._

"Well..." Alex starts, taking a step closer, attempting to lick the smile off her lips even though its clearly there to stay. "Your _eagerness_ might have sped things up a bit maybe."

 _Ugh, this woman!_

Piper firmly believes that _no one_ should look this sexy while presenting such a reasonable and (much to her embarrassment) quite truthful argument.

It's so _infuriating_ knowing that Alex always, _always_ has an answer at the ready that she might even _just_ -

"But... I like that about you, Piper."

Whatever thing Piper might have been about to do or say, in the moment she hears that unexpected confession, that stubborn need to get defensive is taken away in an instant.

The soft sincerity in Alex's voice, and the extension of it curling tentatively on those rosy lips, makes that nonsense mechanism inside her... collapse on itself.

It's clearly not a look that Alex is accustomed to wear often. And it's proven by the way she tilts her head down, breaking eye contact and pretending to fix her glasses on the bridge of her nose. But Piper finds something so... _oddly endearing_ in seeing it shaping those features, allowing her to take a glimpse of what (for how startingly unexpected) might as well be a bared hint of _shyness_ for having left herself so exposed, even if for just a moment.

That glimpse of vulnerability makes Piper's heart skips a couple of beats.

And hearing that... _compliment?_ Surely manages to soothe the little sting left by the previous comment. Enough to make her defensive posture drop for the rest of the way.

"So, uh... Anyway," Alex resumes, softly clearing her throat, shaking the awkwardness that must have rendered her a bit squirmy after making that confession, and slipping back into the safeness of her confident demeanor; the one that fits her so perfectly. And into which she looks so ridiculously attractive.

"There are... many things I would like to properly _introduce you_ to before I'd feel comfortable to let you roam freely during an event like this one." Alex explains to her as her voice regains the same confidence that Piper is used to hear, shifting into that more serious tone that gets all of her attention and... leaves her wondering, what, _exactly,_ might be those _"other things"_ that Alex intends to introduce her to...

"Some clients, those that are more experienced - which are the majority present tonight," Alex informs her. "May show an interest, and ask you to _join in._ And if you are wearing this, they will refrain from being too insistent."

It's an incredibly reasonable explanation.

The collar _is_ a symbol. Subtle yet visible enough to not leave anyone wandering blindly in the doubt if it would be appropriate to make a request to someone or not.

But... Piper can't help but catch that same glimpse of _something else_ hiding under the explanation that Alex has just given her.

Something that shows in the following moment, when Alex once again slips, voluntarily (even though unexpectedly) off that confident demeanor, just enough for Piper to catch a glimpse of that tentativeness lying underneath when she flashes her that awkward little smile again before admitting that...

"I just... I want you to feel _comfortable_ tonight, Piper."

 _And there it is again._

That flutter echoing in her chest in front of that bared consideration. The note of worry sticking in that deep voice and showing on those expressive features...

So open and sincere, no matter the obvious discomfort that is making Alex s _truggle_ to maintain eye contact.

Leaving no trace of doubt behind what her true motivations really _are._

Because it seems like Alex's main concern here, above anything else, is for her to feel welcomed and _at ease,_ despite the self-consciousness that her inexperience might trigger in her as a consequence of being still (undoubtedly) very new to... _all of this._

She might not be fond of the word _"amateur"_ , but Piper knows that a few sessions have hardly made her an expert.

This kind of thoughtfulness is nothing new coming from Alex.

She shouldn't be surprised since making her feel at ease is at the very base and foundation of the ambiance that the raven-haired woman creates _during_ their private sessions and (as it happened last time) _afterward,_ too. Perhaps even going a little _beyond_ the simple professional concern.

Except that this time, the involved parts are _many_ and Alex just wants to make sure that everyone knows about her level of expertise only to assure her comfort.

That sensation, _that tight grip_ that Piper felt earlier swelling in her chest is back, as well as the other fluttery feeling erupting in her stomach.

Her silence, however, as well as the expression on her face, might deliver a dubious message to Alex, who instantly backtracks.

"But of course you don't have to wear it if the thought makes you feel uncomfor-"

Struck by a sudden panic, Piper promptly, hastily interrupts her.

"I'm not!" She practically blurts out, almost shouting, with such urgency that it even (much to her mortification) _startles_ Alex a bit. She grimaces inwardly, already feeling her cheeks heating up into an incandescent-bright red. But she doesn't allow that feeling churning in her stomach to be an obstacle. And so, she summons all of her resolution, swallowing down the awkwardness of her hurried response, guided by that need to reassure Alex, glancing briefly up at her before tilting her head down, fixing that stubborn lock of hair that has escaped from the hairdo she might have spent an hour trying to make resemble to one of the thirties.

"I-I mean... It _doesn't,_ make me feel uncomfortable..." She clarifies, trying (unsuccessfully) for nonchalant, looking up at the raven-haired woman from underneath her eyelashes and flashing her a flustered little smile.

Surprisingly, for once, seeing the smirk that curls on those lips doesn't trigger that small (although pleasant, no matter how much she pretends to feel the opposite way about it) response of annoyance. Because underneath that sly smile, there is an amount of relief that is rendered all the more visible into those expressive, stunning green eyes; in the way they brighten up, and also in the way Alex's posture, those broad shoulders of hers, drop with a silent exhale that she lets out through her slightly parted lips.

Piper is being honest. Because, it most definitely wouldn't make her feel uncomfortable the thought of wearing that specific... _accessory._

It's... quite _the opposite_ in fact.

Or so it seems to confirm that feeling that had started pulsing in her belly - and that has now shifted lower (like she knew it would have) between her legs - as soon as she realized what Alex was showing her.

Still, even though she has already expressed her willingness to wear the _alternative_ necklace, Piper is given proof that Alex's search for consent extends far beyond the limit of when just something physical is involved, urging the raven-haired woman to properly ask her if "Are you _sure_?"

Whatever remnant of that tight knot made of both tension and excitement that was getting all tangled up in Piper's stomach, unfurls completely in front of that simple question.

The smile that she feels tugging at the corner of her mouth is not even conscious.

It might as well have become an instinctive response to Alex's thoughtfulness, which could very well be the most genuine kind she has ever seen in anyone or that has ever been addressed to her for that matter. Either way, with that smile curling on her lips, she turns around and lifts her hair from behind her neck, exposing the back of it to Alex.

"Would you...?" She asks for good measure, and even though she can no longer see Alex's face, she can perfectly picture the smirk that must show up on those rosy lips as the raven-haired woman steps closer and takes the invitation as the ultimate confirmation that she needed, and even just feeling the heat of her body behind her own, is enough to send a shiver down Piper's spine, who soon realizes that being so daring it's a double edge blade.

That surge of confidence that she has felt flare deep down in her belly and swell in her chest in fact, for how... empowering, soon enough it diminishes. Turning into a whole other kind of blazing warmth.

Precisely when she feels those long, extremely deft fingers work to tie the elegant, tasteful, leather accessory around her neck.

The warmth of that touch, holding that confidence and gentleness that is at the very base of Alex's core, part of her very nature, tingles so pleasantly against that particularly sensitive spot, making Piper's breath stutter in her lungs as another shiver zips through her body.

Try to minimize its effect and render it less visible is futile, utterly fruitless, just like it is her attempt to not react when, as she inhales a shaky breath through her nose, hoping that it will help her in regaining some of her lost composure, she catches a whiff of Alex's intoxicating perfume.

That unique blend, that fragrance that offers the most perfect bond between sweetness and tartness, which juicy, ripe, and simply _exquisite_ essence is already enough to get Piper's mouth watering, this time it's laced with that note of leather that makes her knees buckle beneath her; a sudden weakness that has her reach down with her free hand to brace herself against the polished wooden desk, willing herself to breathe more evenly.

As she braces herself there though, trying to get a hold of herself, a thought, or rather an _image_ taken from an idea, a _fantasy_ , flares brightly in her mind as it surfaces from where it had somehow slipped in the semidarkness of her subconscious.

And maybe its the fact of leaning against that desk, or maybe it is feeling Alex standing so close behind her; close enough to feel the heat of her hands and the warm whisper of her breath on the back of her neck and catch the smell of that intoxicating scent. But mostly, close enough to leave her wondering how it would feel like having her body actually _pressed_ against her own like _this_ , from _behind_... while she gets _bent over_ the piece of furniture.

 _"Piper?"_

Something in her posture, or even her breathing maybe, which might have grown slightly labored and shallow under the influence of those images, is enough to get Alex's attention.

The caress of that deep voice uttering her name, tugs Piper gently back from the compelling scene that had started playing in her mind, but this time, even as she regains awareness and struggles to do as much with her composure too, she still makes sure to not get distracted too much to actually tear herself completely away from that thought that keeps floating in her mind.

"Is not too tight, is it?"

The heat of Alex's body stepping away from hers, the sudden lack of her touch from where it had been fiddling with the new accessory now tied around her neck, brings a breeze of coldness that shakes Piper out from that thick haze.

" _Hey..._ you okay there?"

But it's actually hearing that hint of concern in Alex's voice what makes her blink back into focus with a bit more of urgency. Turning around, slowly, still bracing herself there against the solid oak desk, not trusting the strength in her legs at the moment, and greeted by the sight of Alex frowning lightly at her. Eyebrows knitting together with that same shade of worry that leaves Piper itching with the urge to reach out and just... smooth out that little, _lovely_ crease with the pad of her thumb.

"I, uhm..." She pauses, softly clearing her throat when she hears how deep and uncharacteristically _raspy_ her voice has become.

Her main intention is to just reassure Alex, of course, but... That thought. That _image,_ pushes at the edge of her mind with an insistence that simply _can't_ be ignored, and the low throb in the depth of her belly only serves as a further encouragement for the idea that has just brightened like a beacon in her head.

She intended to ask such thing to Alex last time.

The thought had even crossed her mind, but she never got the chance to present the actual... request, all because of the drowsiness and generally mushy, deeply satisfied state the raven-haired woman had reduced her into.

 _But now..._

"Yeah, sorry..." She apologizes, sincerely, reassuringly. "I'm fine, I just..."

In the end, coerced by her own body - although aware that this might not be the best moment to discuss the possibility - she knows that if she would let the thought slip to the background one more time she would forget or even re-consider the whole request and... dismiss it altogether, even though, embarrassment or not, she doesn't think that such uncomfortable feeling would take over this time. Because Alex has proven to be always willing to listen to what she wants. To _her needs._

And that's what gives Piper that final push.

Well, _that,_ and the furrow of curiosity and mingled concern creasing Alex's features.

"I..." She re-starts, only to immediately pause, taking a moment longer to consider her words and then swallowing as if doing so would get her thrumming heart to settle down from where she can feel it pulsing in her throat.

"I have a fantasy." She confesses eventually, choosing for the most direct approach that has the words practically stumble in a rush past her lips.

For a moment, Alex just stares at her.

Blinking.

Absolutely _unimpressed._

But then...

 _A smile._

That same little smirk starts twitching at the corner of her mouth, stretching across her lips, and making Piper groan inwardly even though her stomach erupts in a new series of flutters.

"Actually..." _And here we go,_ Piper inwardly sighs in defeat when Alex starts what sounds like an argument. "I remember you mentioning having _a dozen_ of those in your questionnaire _at least._ " She counters, but... despite the amusement shimmering into those rippling green lakes, she is only - surprisingly - partially teasing her.

In fact, her voice grows slightly deeper, her tone shifting into that deliciously seductive purr as she takes a step closer while her gaze drifts lower... to glance down at her neck.

"But I _do_ have the leash matching this collar if _that's_ what you have been fantasizing about..."

Piper can actually _feel_ the _shock_ of electricity that travels through her entire body in the instant she receives such answer. Her hand instinctively reaching up to touch the new accessory secured around her neck, and coming in direct contact with the little loop there at the center, as if only now acknowledging its... _presence._

And once she does, the cold bite of that ring of metal is all she can feel, offering the perfect contrast with the heat that flares brightly on her face at the image that Alex has just triggered involving this very specific item. A scenario so compelling that even just _thinking_ about it almost makes her sway on her still wobbly knees because...

 _Shit..._

The collar feels _so nice,_ she realizes, that it's almost as if it... _belongs_ there.

"Okay..." She swallows, inhaling a shaky breath and nodding to herself. " _Two fantasies._ " She corrects, because now _that_ image - and the fantasy resulting from it - has already sunk its claws deep into her mind, sitting just beside the other one she was about to confess.

It's the sound of Alex's laugh - that quiet slightly raspy chuckle, equally amused and absolutely delighted for having elicited that kind of reaction in her by just teasing that scenario - what gets her attention back.

The raven-haired woman however promptly gets a hold of her amusement and raises her hands in surrender, backtracking apologetically when Piper shoots her a little glare, which she is honestly surprised is somehow affective considering the blazing blush on her cheeks.

"Tell me." Alex encourages her. The expression on her face, as well as her tone, may turn more serious, but there is that softer smile still gracing those lips that even this time, just the sight of it, is more than enough to make Piper feel at ease. "What is it?"

Those green eyes may no longer glint with humor, but the light rippling in there is so warm and comforting, and - as always - lacking of _any_ kind of judgment.

It has become increasingly easier for Piper lately to voice and get more explicit about what she wants. Alex is doing an _exceptional_ job in rendering her less... unabashed during their sessions. And even this time, just seeing _that look_ manages to soothe those jittery nerves. Enough to allow her to speak without that distracting feeling bubbling within her.

"Last time... you _uh_... You said something about trying to meet your clients' requests," She summarizes, waiting until Alex nods at her, remembering their conversation, although with that understandable quizzical frown creasing her eyebrows that urges Piper to continue. "So... If I wanted, would I be able to... request _your services_ someplace else other than here? Like..." She pauses, swallows, but her stubborn heart always seems to find a way to jolt right back in her throat. "... _my office,_ for example." She suggests, fighting with all her might against the self-consciousness that she can feel rising from her stomach and claiming her entire face with an impossibly brighter blush, summoning some courage before specifying, "on... my _desk._."

At first... Piper is only met with silence.

Which is just torture.

But just because Alex doesn't offer her an instant verbal response it doesn't mean that such... scenario, hasn't affected the raven-haired woman as well.

Piper can clearly see it, as soon as she dares glancing up. It's in the way those green eyes widen, twinkling with an intrigue that can't be masked and that Alex surely doesn't _care_ about _hiding._ A response that, on its own, is perhaps even louder and more enthusiastic than anything else she would have expected to hear.

In its subtlety, it's actually quite... riveting.

Eventually though, a smile breaks free, but this time, Piper is not only prepared to see the slow grin that takes over and stretches across those fabulous, kissable lips. But she is nothing short than absolutely _delighted_ to see it blossoms with all of the excitement that she catches the reflection on into those deep emerald lakes, rippling with the breeze brought by her fantasy.

"Sounds intriguing." Alex comments, humming - or rather purring - approvingly, before growing suddenly more pensive, and Piper can only imagine what kind of scene must have started playing into that brilliant, beautifully creative mind right now.

If she could just... take _a glimpse_ at it.

Unable not to wonder if such scene is the same one she has been fantasizing about ever since that specific occasion; ever since that unexpected visit that she has received that time in her office. Where the kind, thoughtful gesture of Alex returning her agenda has escalated into something just as unexpected and _far less innocent._

"I'm going to need a few more details. But... I'm sure we can find a way to arrange that." Alex tells her, confidently, flashing her a reassuring, promising smile as she takes a step closer, her gaze drifting away from her eyes and... lower, before reaching out with one hand and...

In that instant that seems to stretch for entire long seconds, Piper finds herself holding her breath.

Until that gaze drops further down from where it had just laid on her lips, and that hand goes to fix and re-align the collar tied around her neck.

"There..."

Piper tries to not deflate or look too disappointed when Alex takes a step back and withdraws her hand, but the pleased smile that lingers on those rosy lips brings her enough warmth to make up for the loss of the heat of her body staying so close to her own.

"It looks... very nice on you," Alex comments after a brief yet substantial pause, during which Piper might even see the raven-haired woman squirm, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

There is just something in seeing Alex sway, even if so very lightly. _Something_ that is offering Piper another glimpse of that thin layer of self-consciousness that she would have _never_ believed to find underneath that thick wall of confidence.

And yet, there it is.

It's... rather empowering knowing to have such an effect on a woman who is basically trained to always maintain that level of power. Of _dominance._

Unable to resist the temptation, and planning on regain some of her dignity back given how flustered she has gotten in the past few minutes, after summoning some courage, Piper drops her voice, and in a deep, slightly husky tone that dangerously borders from teasing into plain seductive, she asks if "Does it fit with the rest of my attire?"

She knows that such question and especially the way she asked it are most likely going to earn her a witty reply adorned with another one of those sly little smiles, but she thinks that the question is worthy enough to risk it, although...

For once, much to her shock, there is absolutely _no trace_ of the humor that she expected to see on Alex's face.

Just the uttermost appreciation as the raven-haired woman answers her with a slow, thorough once-over. Starting from her expensive ankle strap high heels, caressing her stockings-clad legs, almost reverently, appraising her frame in the flapper dress with more patience now that her coat has been discarded, catching the glimpse of cleavage that said dress leaves exposed, tracing the jut of her clavicle before fixing on the new leather accessory wrapped around the elegant column of her throat for a second longer before finally meeting her gaze.

Those green gems lock firmly with hers then.

And never, _ever_ before has Piper experienced a stronger more powerful and invigorating feeling in being pinned down by such an intense gaze.

Catching sight of the tip of that pink tongue darting out to delicately wet those soft rosy lips, and unable to feel anything else that isn't the way her heart flips and trips in her chest over several beats in the moment Alex answers to her _"supposedly-playful"_ question with that dark gaze filled with an infinite appreciation.

" _Delightfully._ "

Piper feels her legs growing suddenly weak again. Her lungs hungrily protesting for the unsatisfying result of her shallow breathing, and yet, despite that lack of air, she still finds herself breathing Alex's name, just barely above a whisper.

" _Alex_..."

Those green eyes grow even deeper.

The forest in there getting swallowed by something darker, and Piper plummets right into their depths again, wondering how they suddenly got so close that the space remaining between has been reduced to a buzzing electricity.

And she knows that if she would take that last step closer and erase those few inches left between them, she would probably not survive the shock of that invisible, electric fence when her body will collide against Alex's in the way her muscles, her skin, her very bones longs to.

"We should..." Alex starts, voice as deep and husky as Piper has ever heard it, and more than enough to send that first shock of electricity up her spine. A warning. Or perhaps... an encouragement.

"...probably go." Piper instinctively concludes before that thought, that wonderfully dangerous thought can get the chance to travel through her by her nervous system and be translated into something much more concrete by her muscles and make her do something incredibly stupid.

Alex nods, but neither of them moves.

Piper is barely capable of breathing right now, least of all get her body into motion.

She just... _can't._

Not as long as those green eyes remain locked with hers with all of the intensity of that _spell_ from which she simply can't disentangle, at least until...

Alex breaks it by blinking away.

Struggling to regain focus and return between these walls of her office after having ventured somewhere far, far away. A territory that Piper wonders if it was as dangerous as the one she has just explored. And the realization, the fact of finding herself here, in her club - _at work,_ basically - is what shakes her out from whatever thing was dragging her adrift.

She takes a step back, deliberately putting more distance between them. Even though... the effort it takes her, the reluctance that seems to cling to her bones as she forces herself back into that professionalism, doesn't pass unnoticed.

"Come on," Alex tells her then, with an encouragement that Piper doesn't know to which one of them might be addressed. Flashing her a smile that holds too much effort, rendering it strained, but... beautiful nonetheless. Despite the insincerity in it.

Piper probably shouldn't, but she still takes a strange sense of comfort in seeing it, or rather in seeing Alex - usually so confident and perfectly composed - struggle to regain her lost composure, because it confirms that she is not the only one who has been left affected by whatever it was that... _thing_... that has just passed between... them.

"Let's go find out how the other guests have decided to spend the night." Alex suggests striding towards the door and waiting for her there, but not even daring to meet her gaze right now.

An irrational fear that Piper shares.

A magnetic pull that even she isn't sure would be able to resist a second time.

Disappointment and relief collide within her in the oddest mix, but she still nods, returning the smile as best as she can before following her. Having the feeling that the sexual tension that she will find in the other rooms is going to be _nothing_ compared to the one that is making the air here in Alex's office more and more unbreathable with each passing second.

Even though... that's _not_ what is slowly chocking her from the inside, swirling relentlessly in her lower belly and... starting to pulse down between her legs at the thought of getting her fantasy fulfilled right here, _right now._ On this very same desk that looks sturdy enough to withstand the passion that she knows Alex possesses.

...and that Piper oh so wants to witness getting unleashed, unrestrained, in all its fierceness.

As she follows Alex outside and ignores the other feelings swelling in her chest, she can't help but wonder if maybe, there is a way to trigger an emotion in the raven-haired woman that would lead to such a... magnificent, _promising_ result.

 **. . .**

Getting out from the quiet, cozy confines of Alex's office and being immediately thrown into the frenetic club hosting the special event helps in cooling off that feeling, in putting those dangerous thoughts to rest (or at least give her the impression to). But that sparkling electricity that she has felt prickling on her skin gets also immediately replaced with a very similar kind of excitement when Alex leads her towards one of the first rooms.

"What do the red lights mean?" Piper asks brow furrowed when she looks around - pretty much like a kid would do at the inauguration of candy store giving away free samples of chocolates - and notices the little blinking lights resting just beside one of the many doors down the familiar hallway that is rendered almost unrecognizable with the amount of traffic filling it tonight, although in a very _fashionable_ order.

Alex, as patient as she always is with her, and also kind of entertained by the look of awe that she simply _can't_ mask (least of all prevent it from glittering in her eyes as she looks around and finds out that the decorations have not been reduced only to the entrance of the club alone - of course not. The raven-haired woman and her partner surely put a lot of effort into the preparations and making everything look so... authentic) is more than happy to provide her the answer.

"The lights indicate which kind of... _audience_ the client - or clients participating in the session - desires," Alex explains to her as they come to a stop in front of the first room, stepping aside to not block the traffic and let some people pass through.

"Red, like this one here, means that whoever enters can only watch. _Exclusively._ No external participation besides the people already involved and taking part in the session." She continues before pointing to the door on the opposite side of the hallway across from them. "Green is for those who are open to let someone join in, after either making an appropriate request or receiving one. And blue is for... _well..._ " Piper takes a general look around, realizing that down the hallway most of the lights are either blue or green. "...everyone who wants to participate. _No exclusions._ As long as the room's capacity allows it, of course." Alex concludes, flashing one of those little smirks that once again doesn't fail in making Piper's spine tingle.

She shivers, and she is pretty sure that Alex - as attentive as she knows her to be - certainly hasn't let that little reaction escape.

And even though she might squirm, self-consciously, in an attempt to divert the raven-haired woman's attention from that reaction, Piper must admit that she is thrilled when, after they get back into traffic and proceed down the long hallway, she sees Alex sneaking glances her way.

They are so subtle that, at first, Piper doesn't even think to be the possible target of such fleeting looks.

But then she actually catches Alex in the act of admiring the new accessory tied around her neck, and the raven-haired woman is left with no way out.

That green gaze shifts away from her own as fast as humanly possible, but it's already too late. And the attempt to look innocent only makes her look all the more guilty.

Head tilting down, long dark hair shading her features, hand coming to adjust her glasses with what Piper is starting to think might be a nervous, little, so incredibly, oddly endearing habit.

Offering a tiny glimpse of self-consciousness that might, after all, be a hidden, secret part of Alex's confident core that Piper is absolutely _delighted_ for having discovered it.

As they follow the main flow and get further into the depths of the club buzzing with life and an air of excitement, however, Piper doesn't miss the looks that some of the customers flash to Alex, too.

A few even stop to greet her along the way.

 _"Nice to see you, Alex."_

 _"Wonderful night, Alex."_

 _"You look good, Alex."_

Piper is aware that being the owner means that Alex probably knows every single person present tonight, and definitely each one of those they meet along the way, but... _The greetings_... She can't pretend that many of them are _not_ as innocent as they actually sound.

The glances that Alex receives linger for a beat or two longer than necessary. Scanning her over. And even though Piper is also perfectly aware that the kind of beauty that Alex possesses is not one that simply can be ignored or dismissed with an offending fleeting glance. It tends to draw all the rightful attention it deserves.

But it also doesn't stop her from feeling that... thing churning in her stomach. Flaring into a light burn - a quiet yet dangerous simmer - when a young, short blonde with a sharp smile and mischievous eyes stops her along the way.

"Vause!" The lady greets her excitedly. "I didn't know you were back in business!" And it's only at the mention of _business_ that Piper gets acknowledged - or rather spared a look at - for the first time as those malicious eyes shifts to appraise her briefly up and down, looking... quite _unimpressed_.

Perhaps even bored and _disappointed._

"... or that you were taking _novices_ under your _training wing_." She quips, but the attempt for a joke falls flat with all its weakness.

Alex might even smile, but her eyes narrow in something that betrays the politeness of that friendly curl of her lips.

"I'm guessing you are not available for tonight are you?" The blonde inquires, hopeful, and Piper almost winces as that feeling in her stomach twists on itself, growing tighter and more uncomfortable by the second.

"No, sorry," Alex answers, shortly. "Just making sure everyone is behaving tonight." She supplies before stepping in, kindly, yet with that note of defensiveness that is more in her look than in her voice when she adds, "And I'm having the pleasure to do so while escorting one of our most _promising_ and _well-behaved_ new entries."

Piper's chest swells with emotion when Alex concludes that statement - that unveiled compliment - by throwing her a little wink, and it takes her some effort to not rejoice too visibly from the outside when the lady's expression instantly drops upon receiving such response.

"O-oh, sure... Of course." She replies, awkwardly. "Well, I guess I'll see you around then." With that and another smile that has nothing of the cockiness that was there at the initial greeting, now looking clearly flustered, she leaves mumbling something under her breath that sounds like "lucky rookie" as she steps away, head hung low, shoulders slumped with so much disappointment that Piper almost feels sorry for her.

 _Almost._

"I'm sorry," Alex unnecessarily apologizes once the harassing blonde has left and is enough far away to be out of earshot, taking her aside and looking genuinely apologetic - and also kind of irritated by that lady's behavior - as her gaze lands once more down to her neck.

"Maybe the collar wasn't a good idea." She comments, sighing pensively. "It's just... You are the only one here tonight wearing it, since all the others are..." Her voice trails off, leaving the rest easy to interpret, but she doesn't voice the obviousness about all the others in the club being at a considerably more _advanced level_ respect hers.

Alex just shakes her head and dismisses the thought, clearly not wanting to risk upsetting her and instead asking if, "You want me to take it off?"

The softness that Piper feels melting inside of her takes away that... spiky feeling that was starting to poke uncomfortably at her from the inside and itch in her chest after the brief encounter with that unpleasant lady.

But taking off the collar just because someone pointed out her own inexperience, is definitely _not_ an option.

There is just _something_ in wearing the item, that she can't quite place...

"No... It's okay Alex." She reassures, shaking her head and smiling at the raven-haired woman, at that sincere concern and that... _profound_ need to make her feel at ease.

She doesn't care if people make assumptions. And so far, besides this exception, no one has made her feel self-conscious because of her level of expertise. This, after all, is a place where comfort and understanding reign side by side.

 _Also..._

"I... I like wearing it." She confesses.

But it's a lie.

She _loves it._

And what she loves most about it is that all the women present tonight may be at a considerably more advanced level respect her own, sure, and they may try to get Alex's attention - something she can't blame them for.

But... a glance at that accessory wrapped around her neck, so elegant (and that also oh so fortunately happens to fit so nicely with her dress) and they _know_ that tonight, Alex is _with her._

The smile that she sees blossom on those rosy lips and reaching those sparkling green eyes, is filled with relief.

"Well... It looks very good on you." Alex compliments her once more with all her sincerity and approval. "And you wear it so beautifully that I'll admit, it would honestly be a shame taking it off."

Piper might even blush a little upon hearing that, and she knows that it is visible even in the soft red glow of the hallway because Alex's smile grows even more delighted at the sight of it.

 **. . .**

"So... I was thinking that we could start from one of these if you are ready?" Alex asks her glancing inside one of the rooms blinking with a red light. One from where - under the music traveling from the bar, dancing floor, and through the length of the busy hallway - a few, soft, quiet, and very _inviting_ moans can be heard.

To her, Piper thinks, the room's color doesn't technically make any difference.

She isn't going to participate either way.

But this way she would be able to see two, perhaps three women on the uh... _stage_ and have a better chance to observe than if she would step in into one of the rooms with the blue-light on, which Alex has kind of made sound like an orgy of sorts, where the only limit is dictated by the room's (or rather the bed's) capacity.

And so, she straightens up, lifts her head, chin jutting out with that weird kind of confidence that she has felt swell bigger inside of her ever since she has exited Alex's office. She wonders if, paradoxically, isn't the collar to lend her such a great amount of security.

"I am." She says confidently. But the look of pride that instantly shapes Alex's features upon hearing that unwavering certainty, almost threatens to take all of that away and make her swoon.

She manages not to sway on her high heels as Alex, gallant as ever, shows her in first. But there is no controlling the way her insides quiver with _want_ in front of _that look_...

Taking a deep breath, and pretending that she has the ability to make her own heart slow down the frantic rhythm it has picked up, she steps in.

 **. . .**

Piper wasn't expecting it, but it's truly incredible how the air changes around her as soon as she crosses the threshold.

It instantly welcomes her in, almost making the simple act of stepping inside feel as if she just stepped into a portal for a whole other dimension and not just a door.

An _opened_ door.

But that's what she experiences.

Maybe it's the anticipation playing tricks on her, but it's almost like all of a sudden, each one of her senses gets heightened all at once.

The smell is the first thing that hits her in the moment she walks in.

In it's nature, it's also pretty unmistakable.

And for how nice and pleasant the spiced aroma - that swirl of vanilla and cardamom, lifting in the air from the candles - is, it does absolutely _nothing_ to mask the sweeter, tangy, _richer_ smell of arousal, of which the room has grown completely saturated with, rendering it almost humid on the spots where her skin is left exposed by the dress - and thick, almost _resinous_ at the nose.

The second thing that catches her attention with a hint of puzzlement, is that the room isn't even as crowded as she thought it would be; just a half dozen of women; a few standing, and a couple sitting on those leather chairs diagonally facing the bed and resting on the two opposite corners. Those very _same_ chairs that Piper had already noticed in her previous session and of which she now has the confirmation what kind of purpose they serve. Because she definitely _never_ thought that their use was simply the one to occupy space as _decorative furniture_.

Oh no...

She might have even fantasized about this very _specific_ use.

If someone, anyone present, notice her or even Alex entering the room, no one gives a sign to.

All the spectators are way too captivated by the scene playing on the bed, which serves as the stage for only two protagonists.

Just one Mistress leading the session.

And the very, _very_ fortunate, relatively young woman with short hair who (given the blissful moans and breathless gasps spilling from her lips) must be receiving _everything_ she's ever wanted.

Piper can certainly understand the loud enthusiasm emanating from her and why the eyes of everyone present in the room are locked on such scene.

As she steps further inside, silently, to not risk disturbing the show, Piper finds a spot against the wall that offers her an acceptable view.

Alex follows her example, and, just as quietly, with that feline-light step of hers, comes to a stop right beside her to admire the scene unfolding before them so flawlessly, _so_... _beautifully._

There is a naturalness in the way the two women move. As if completing each other's movement by seeking the other's presence, that shows an understanding and a familiarity that makes Piper assume that they could have been... training with each other for _a while._

She didn't know, specifically, what she should have expected from tonight's event.

She knew what the evening was about, and by the few informations that Alex has given her, she had guessed what the _"open doors"_ expression would have involved.

But what Piper realizes in the moment her gaze fixes on the bed and actually _sees_ the action going on there, taking such a consistent, _physical_ form right before her eyes - is that she wasn't prepared to witness something so... glorious, so wonderful, so... _open,_ in first person like _this._

There is a component in the display that she wasn't expecting to affect her so strongly.

She is... _awestruck._

 _Delighted._

And... maybe a bit _jealous_ , too.

Because she might still be an amateur in all of this or whatever, but she firmly believes that there are very few things in the world that must be as fulfilling as resting on all fours, arms stretched before you, _restrained_ by handcuffs tied to the headboard, legs spread open by the shackles tied to the ankles and around the footboard, and having your Mistress behind you, wearing an extremely provocative corset, and... the leather harness of a thick toy.

The slick sounds result of the friction from each long, deep thrust, mingle so _exquisitely_ with the breathy sighs and low moans of pleasure coming from the short-haired woman, that Piper can actually _feel_ such symphony resonate inside her. Her own heartbeat catches up to adapt to it and creating a whole new rhythm along with the basses of the music coming from down the hallway and filtering into the room.

Her throat bobs as she swallows, refraining with all her might from squirming on the spot despite the need to squeeze her legs together in a futile attempt to contain the familiar _throb_ that is starting to pulse more and more insistently at the apex of her thighs.

A throb that grows ten times worse when, after a particularly harsh thrust, she hears the young submissive beg her Mistress with a breathless, stuttered _"please"._ And upon hearing it, and how strained it comes out, Piper instantly _knows_ what's happening.

She meets Alex's gaze and has the confirmation of her thrilling suspicions when she sees and instantly recognizes the look into those expressive green eyes.

It seems like they just made it in time for the fireworks.

Piper catches the first sparkle starting to flicker in the way the young woman's body is _arching_ with need, rocking back with greediness, trying to take as much of the shaft inside of her despite the restraints holding her in place - no matter the efforts she puts.

Piper recognizes the signs in all their unmistakable nature and gets suddenly hit by a pang of sympathy at that crushing realization, because she has found herself in that very same situation before.

Begging.

 _Imploring._

Almost close to the point of _sobbing_ with that vicious need. With something that her short-circuiting mind could barely comprehend. Something that she, with all of her eloquence taken away, couldn't even put into words.

Where nothing other than _"more, harder, rougher"_ would be able to satisfy that need and soothe that ache gnawing deep within her.

Although... She never felt like she had to be very specific on those occasions.

Because Alex, usually, already knew _precisely_ what she needed, but... the raven-haired woman demanded it nonetheless. She just wanted to hear her being _explicit._

And Piper would be lying if she said that now that she has gotten over that irrational fear and nonsense reserve - she doesn't get a particularly rousing feeling in doing so.

Here, however, the Mistress directing the scene so masterfully, so expertly - just like Alex (as Piper can easily image) would do - doesn't demand a proper request.

She doesn't _ask_ her young, eager, quivering client to utter out loud what she wants.

She doesn't _tease_ her or _taunt_ her like Piper knows Alex would do with her...

"You have resisted for so long," The Mistress says instead, voice so sultry and deep dripping with approval.

"I'm actually impressed. As I'm sure everyone here is." She adds, reminding her client of the... audience gathered around them and that is currently assisting at the scene with bated breath. "And I think you have earned your reward."

There.

 _Reward._

Piper knew that the raw need that was making the young woman pull at the restraints couldn't be anything else other than... _that._

 _It must be it,_ Piper thinks, heart hammering in her throat, breath held captive in her lungs with the same anticipation that makes her (as well as the others spectators admiring this delightful display) lean forward to get a better look at what is about to happen.

But then, much to her confusion, she watches as the Mistress draws back her hips. Pulling out _completely._

Piper gets even a glimpse of the thick shaft during the motion - even catching sight of the shimmering layer covering its length - and it's in the moment she sees it slip free, that the low throb between her legs becomes an uncomfortable _hollow ache_ as she instantly imagines that unbearable _emptiness_ and how excruciating it must be having that nothingness filling her.

She feels for the young, whimpering woman whose restrained position leaves her at the mercy of her dominant counterpart and whatever it is she has planned.

Even though... Piper doesn't understand the reason why the young client should ever thank her Mistress as soon as the latter pulls out and takes off the condom from the toy only to... _replace it with a new one?_

Piper's eyebrows crease in a frown at that detail.

But her confusion is short lived.

The first clue comes when she sees the Mistress search for something on the bed.

And the second one that has Piper's eyes widen in realization and makes her breath stutter in her throat and her heart skip a couple of beats, is the sight of the little, pink bottle that gets retrieved from where it had found refuge between the folds of the silky sheets.

The ultimate confirmation is seeing it getting uncapped and watching some of its slippery content getting poured directly on the shaft clad with the fresh condom that makes _perfect_ sense now.

The Mistress bends then, one hand coming to rest soothingly on her client's lower back before leaning forward to _whisper_ a few words, something that gets mouthed too softly for Piper (or anyone else in the room) to be able to hear it, but she can easily imagine it being a reassurance of sorts that, apparently, must be comforting enough to make the young woman relax.

The muscles of the submissive client back instantly lose some tension under her Mistress' comforting touch, who then proceeds in adjusting her position behind her and lining up the shaft again. Although, this time... with a whole _other_ entrance.

The rush of heat that Piper can feel spring inside of her, snapping from her lower belly and shooting through her veins, reaches every part of her body.

She sucks in a shuddering, needy breath hoping that it will subdue such feeling, but that sip of air only ends up feeding that burning flame into a raging fire.

She is left powerless to do anything but let its scorching warmth consume everything in their wake while she watches the trained Mistress slowly, _gently,_ push forward. One hand guiding the head of the toy, the other one resting on the lower back of her whimpering client, wordlessly urging her to relax some more by massaging away with a soft circular motion of her thumb the lingering knots of tension locking those muscles.

The nature of that simple, soothing gesture instantly reminds Piper of Alex.

She has grown familiar with a display of such... softness showed in the most perfect juxtaposition of a rough treatment or in preparation for something so... _unconventional._

And witnessing such scene makes it close to impossible for Piper not to imagine how it would feel like, how it would _be_ like fulfilling that fantasy...

 _...with Alex._

The scene gets assembled with such ease in her head that it should be startlingly.

She pictures the position, she almost _feels_ the bite of the ropes on her naked wrists, and the contrasting, comforting soft warmth of Alex's hands on her hips, holding her in place with both firmness and gentleness.

Right now, however, between the desire pulsing at the apex of her thighs and setting the rest of her body on fire, the images that starts playing in her mind are even more vivid, with brighter colors enhanced by the show that she is currently (as well as the half dozen of women present in the room) admiring with bated breath.

It doesn't take long.

Between the lube making things smoother and the clear level of arousal that the young woman has reached, it's just a matter of a few moments before that last lingering trace of tension melts away, allowing the shaft of the toy to start sinking in, with just one long, slow thrust.

Their hips meet is the most sensual fit, and a moaned gasp falls from the young, short-haired client's lips, melting into a shuddered sigh of what can only be _pleasure._

A few hums of approval echo softly in the room from the other spectators who are apparently enjoying (in a respectful silence) the turn that the session has taken.

Piper may still be trying to wrap her mind around what she is actually witnessing with her own eyes, but she can't deny it.

There is such... _beauty_ in this act, that she would have never expected to find.

The display is delightful on its own, but the thing that strikes her harder, the one that affects her so deeply and truly make this entire scenario so spectacular, is the element of _trust_ and the complete _abandon_ that it brings.

The way they move shows the most perfect sync since the first thrust. But there isn't just that.

The Mistress slows down and stops and resumes accordingly to her partner's needs, changing the angle when a slight hiss of mild discomfort escapes from her restrained client, only for that sound to turn into a long blissful moan an instant later.

The sting of pain that the act brings, watching them adjusting to not make it disappear completely but rather reduce it to a constant feeble note in the background with each thrust that only completes the pleasure brought by this different kind of penetration, makes all of this look all the more... _authentic._

And Piper feels _ashamed._

Because a part of her - the ignorance in her - brought her to believe that tonight would have felt maybe a little like watching a live-audience porn, but no...

What she is witnessing couldn't be further from something so meaningless.

There might be a stage reserved for the performance.

One of the two parts might even be a professional.

But nothing of what is currently happening before her eyes is scripted or staged.

And she feels ashamed for letting that tiny part of her make such an inappropriate assumption, even if for just a moment, even knowing that Alex and her refined mind and approach would have aimed for something so much higher and of extreme quality to offer the best, most satisfying experience - for both the couple on the bed _and_ for the audience admiring the scene.

She can't help but wonder if Alex is also the one responsible for having paired the two together.

Either way, mission accomplished.

Because Piper doesn't think she would be able to divert her gaze even in case of a fire - besides the one already raging inside her, of course.

The rhythm of the thrusts increases.

It's nothing like it was before, when the Mistress was taking her client in the other, _more conventional_ way.

But with the aid of the lubricant and the... initial resistance gone, the shaft slides in and out quite smoothly and soon enough, sooner than Piper is ready for - not quite willing for this to end yet - the young, whimpering submissive starts begging her Mistress again.

The need in her strained voice might have been suppressed for a couple of minutes, that sting of pain brought by the... _adjustment_ of the new intrusion might have swayed its course, but now it seems to have returned even more viciously than before.

Piper almost whimpers too, when that polite request gets delayed with a short _"not yet."_ But she admires, almost enviously, the young woman's self-restraint and willpower of holding back. _Trembling_ with the effort it takes her to do so until finally, _finally_ after what feels like entire minutes but couldn't have been more than couple of dozen of seconds, her Mistress grants her permission.

"You have been such a good girl," She purrs, softly, but at the same time loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear it, and Piper doesn't certainly miss the way the young woman's shivers at the term of endearment. She almost does too upon hearing it.

"Now obey me one last time and _come for me._ Everyone here has been waiting for that." Acknowledging the audience comes with the only purpose (or at least Piper thinks) to give her client that extra push; by tickling that fantasy and reminding the young short-haired woman that they are not alone, but rather offering... _an entertainment._

Using such tactic, works _spectacularly._

And with the extra aid of one hand sneaking between the young short-haired woman's spread open legs to put pressure where she must be _painfully throbbing_ with need, it's all it takes.

The apex is delightful to witness. But Piper can't imagine the immense relief that it must bring experiencing it.

She is only left a bit disappointed that her current position doesn't allow her to see the look of pure bliss that shapes the young woman's features when, at the next, particularly harsh, deeper thrust, she tosses her head back and, with a few circles drawn across her clit, she comes with a long, loud _ecstatic_ shout.

Piper hears it resonating all around.

But it also reaches deep within her.

Sending a pang of arousal right to her core.

 **. . .**

"So... _ah_..."

They are out, thrown back into the frenzy of the hallway again, although Piper feels like she has left a part of herself in that room, where the show has now ended and the round of applause that has followed its conclusion has been as unexpected as it has been absolutely deserved given the _astonishing_ performance that she wishes she got the chance to see fully, from the start to the delightful conclusion.

"... _so?_ " There is that tilt in Alex's voice. That soft note of curiosity sprinkled with that measure of amusement that Piper also finds curling so gently and tentatively at the corner of her mouth.

"That was... very intense."

The word _"intense"_ almost feels like an insult, and is barely enough to cover what she just saw, what she just _experienced._ But at the moment, Piper is unable to come up with anything more satisfying.

Her mind is spinning her whole body still buzzing, even her breathing feels a bit short, and she has done nothing other than just... _watching_ someone else enjoying their session.

"Was it too much?" It's hearing that hint of tentativeness what shakes Piper enough from her still half-dazed state and makes her turn to properly look at Alex, whose expression shows indeed that shade of doubt in the little, adorable crinkle of concern sitting between her eyebrows.

"Oh, no..." Piper immediately reassures her. "No, I didn't get overwhelmed or anything. It just... It wasn't what I _expected_." She honestly admits in the end, because getting straight to anal is _not_ something she had thought about when Alex lead her to that room. "But... I enjoyed it, very much."

There is no point in denying that.

But even though Alex smiles at her and in hearing that reassurance, Piper still notices how that hint of tentativeness lingers in her look, as well as in that deep voice when she speaks and says, "Sometimes, witnessing a scene like that with our own eyes, taking a seat in the front row... It can help in offering a _different perspective_ , and perhaps even in... soothing some _doubts._ "

It takes Piper a moment to process those words, but in the moment the realization about what Alex is telling her comes, it's simply striking.

She almost does a double take when the weight of the meaning in those words hits her.

Because it's another version of the whole _"uttering out loud what scares you the most"_ approach. And Piper instantly finds herself wondering if this is why Alex has shown her to that room, _specifically._ If _this_ is the next step she intends to take her on her next session.

 _Could it be?_

The subtle smile dancing on those rosy lips and the mystery glittering from beneath the surface of those emerald lakes intrigues her to no end, and gives her confidence that extra push to just... _ask._

However, just when her lips part...

" _Hey, Alex!_ "

Before she can get a chance to present the question, before she can even summon her voice, Piper gets interrupted. And she barely refrains from rolling her eyes in annoyance when a redhead with a finger wave hairstyle swims through the crowd of the hallway to reach the spot where they are standing.

 _Great,_ she thinks, _another customer came to flirt with Alex._

She doesn't know _why_ the thought annoys her _so much,_ but she knows that it probably _shouldn't._

Although that feeling is particularly diminished right now when she sees that even Alex appears to be not too content about the interruption.

But just when, after adjusting her glasses, she turns around to acknowledge the intrusion, her whole demeanor changes as soon as she sees the approaching redhead.

Her back stiffens up. And Piper can actually _feel_ the tension coming off her.

"There you are!" The redhead pants as if she has been running through the entire club, which she probably has given the immense relief showing on her face. "I've been looking all over for you."

That trace of annoyance that Piper has caught in Alex demeanor is instantly taken away and replaced with a deep frown of concern.

"Sy... Syanna, is everything okay?" Alex asks the young woman, who Piper realizes not being a customer at all, but one of her employees, the same redhead in fact that she has seen at the reception earlier when she first came in and was looking for Alex, who is asking her subordinate if "Is there something wrong with the rooms assignments?"

"No, no everything is good. One of the swings, however..." The redhead- Syanna, informs, only to hurriedly reassure her boss when Alex's eyes instantly widen with dread - realizing that that one probably wasn't the best way to start with. "Oh no, don't worry! No one got hurt or anything." She assures waiting until Alex's posture drops visibly in relief before continuing. "The one in room three though has one of the supportive straps that needs to be replaced, and..."

Piper stops listening there.

Not voluntarily or because of lack of interest though.

But the mention of swings has her mind running rampant towards something wild and unexplored that inevitably pushes the whole conversation and request for assistance somewhere far, _far away,_ at least until...

"...alright, you go ahead, I'll be right there to take care of it. ...Piper?"

Alex's smooth deep voice calling her name is the only thing that manages to pierce through that thick haze and tug her back from the... compelling images that were starting to form in her mind, but she - much to her own surprise - recovers very quickly.

"Is everything okay?" She asks, blinking back into focus and regaining much more composure than she doesn't possess. Pretending that she hasn't been taken hostage by what might as well be a whole new fantasy.

The look of concern that she has seen darkening Alex's features but a few moments ago, gets replaced by the twitch of those rosy lips into an amused, knowing little smile, because of course, intuitive as she is, Alex must _know_ what has been swirling in her mind in the past minute. That smile doesn't blossom fully right now given the more urgent matter at hand, but it still shines so beautifully in her eyes.

"I need to take care of something." The raven-haired woman explains confirming Piper's suspicions which, inevitably, makes her deflate a little with disappointment. "But it's going to take just a few minutes..."

Along with that reassurance, Alex lays a soft, comforting hand on her naked shoulder. But it's actually all of that thoughtfulness and the reluctance showing on the raven-haired woman's features at the thought of leaving her there what warms Piper from the inside and curls her lips into a smile.

Still, she shakes her head though, because disappointment or not "I understand, Alex."

She reassures.

"It's perfectly fine." And it is. Because she knows how much Alex takes her profession and all of the duties that come with it with the most absolute seriousness.

The passion and commitment for their respective business is one of the things that they have in common.

And also, an aspect that Piper finds... _weirdly attractive._

Just as she finds kind of... _cute..._ the fact that Alex doesn't seem to want to leave her here on her own.

"You do what you need to do and take your time," Piper adds, her smile showing nothing but that same assurance that she is trying to convey with all of her honesty, hoping that it will be enough to soothe whatever doubt is keeping Alex, who still looks a bit uncertain.

"I'm going to take a look around here in the meantime." Piper insists.

The reluctance is visibly still there, but Alex finally nods nonetheless.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." She repeats and after flashing her one last smile that Piper may or may not feel setting a little, tingly spark in her belly, she leaves with a very confused-looking redhead in tow.

Piper watches her leave alongside her employee, and for how much she tries, as she diverts her gaze and looks around, getting thrown back into the busy hallway, she can't quite shake off that sensation that makes her feel like a lost kid standing in front of an amusement park's crossroad; where every route leads to far too many directions, all promising a different kind of excitement, even though she is perfectly aware to not be tall enough to get on any ride.

But that's fine.

Surprisingly, she has gotten her share of thrill in just _watching_ the others going for a spin.

And, in any case, even though she knows that all the Mistresses - like the one that she has just seen in action - must be all quite expert, she can only imagine one companion to join her on board of whatever roller coaster she might choose...

 **. . .**

It's exactly because of her aimless wandering that she finds herself into one of the least crowded rooms.

A mysterious yellow light capturing her attention among all the green and blue and red.

She doesn't remember Alex saying anything about yellow lights.

And after a brief scan down the hallway, she realizes that this room is the only one blinking of such color.

Under the current circumstances, she can't not surrender to her curiosity. And so, after a little inner debate, she decides to just... take a little peek in...

Only to almost do a double take when she does so.

Because differently from the other rooms, this one does not have a bed as the main stage.

It isn's arranged as a bedroom _at all_ in fact, but rather...

She glances around with wide eyes and that same look of trepidation settling in and that she tries her best to mask when she sees _the cross._

And _the table._

Both made of wood.

And which purpose she would easily guess even if there currently weren't two naked women being tied up to each one of those... pieces of furniture, and looking quite eager as the two leading Mistresses use ropes or leather handcuffs to secure wrists and ankles with careful and expert knots on the appropriate slots.

Yep... Of all the rooms she could have chosen to enter and has passed in front of along the hallway, she has ended up stepping _in the torture chamber._

Go figures...

The atmosphere in here is entirely different from the one she had breathed in earlier in the _other_ room.

But... still intriguing nonetheless.

 _Very much so..._

And that's what makes her take the first step in, fighting against that sense of reserve and self-consciousness itching under her skin, and listening to her insatiable curiosity instead, which is what urges her to get a better look.

The first thing that she notices and that for some reason catches her a bit more by surprise given the... nature of the show that is about to start, is that even here there is an audience. And all the presents look quite eager for the preparations to end so that the real thing can finally begin.

Besides the two main... stages, there is also some sort of pillory, currently vacant, and a _cage_ with thick iron bars backed in one corner. Which... seems to be used only as decoration though, but Piper wouldn't bet on that.

Other than those pieces of furniture however, there is a vast, colorful assortment of interesting items either hung on the walls or lined up just as ordinately besides those two... _working stations._

There is every kind of equipment that a room like this might require and then some. From the classic restraints, ropes and handcuffs, even duct tape and shackles, to anything that can be used to inflict - in the right hands - the most pleasurable kind of pain.

There are also masks, hoods and blindfolds as well as other garments used - as Piper can guess - for sensory deprivation, and there are other items that she might even be kind of afraid to guess what purpose they serve given their rather intimidating appearance.

"Interested to join for the next round?"

Before Piper can either decide whether to step further in now that she has gotten a better look and got the confirmation that this room is actually what she suspected it to be about, or just turn around and _bolt_ now that she has seen how _serious_ things are about to get in here, that invitation gets addressed her way.

Taken aback, her head snaps on the side upon hearing that question presented with a very smooth voice that turns out belonging to a smiling, attractive, brunette with exquisitely tanned skin and exotic dark eyes.

 _Another Mistress,_ Piper instantly realizes, given the rather... _suggestive attire,_ made entirely of leather; thigh-high boots, a corset and - to complete the whole look and lend that refined touch to fit with the theme of the event - a fedora hat (the same kind that Piper might have imagined earlier sitting on Alex's head when she first saw the raven-haired woman in that pinstripe suit) and... elbow-length, satin gloves.

She is even holding _a riding crop._

"E-excuse me?" Piper doesn't mean to stutter, but the sight of _that item_ held with such naturalness in what she immediately knows must be very expert and capable hands, makes her heart jolt in her chest and stutter in her suddenly, very, _extremely dry_ throat.

The smile on the brunette's lips widens, looking quite delighted for having caught her unprepared, those dark eyes glittering with mischief that... seems to grow suddenly dimmer however when her gaze shifts away from her own and the sly smile on her lips falters, shifting into an unexpected, deeply apologetic expression.

"Oh... I'm sorry," She immediately backtracks. "I didn't see the..." Piper is so confused by the sudden change of demeanor that she only gets the apology when the brunette completes that sentence by wordlessly gesturing to her own neck.

" _Oh!_ "

Realization hits Piper squarely and instantly, one hand reaching up instinctively to touch the new little accessory there, feeling her skin tingle and her chest swell with a strangely _fulfilling_ sensation as soon as her fingertips brush against the cool leather. "The collar," She murmurs. "Yeah, it's just... _I'm-_ "

" _New,_ of course." The brunette jumps in, offering her a less provocative smile and a more friendly approach that clearly takes some effort though, and that clashes completely with the appreciative look that she gives her when - after a long once over up and down her body - those dark eyes find her own again and the brunette adds, "I would have _definitely_ remembered seeing _you_ around."

Sadly, it's not often that Piper gets to receive compliments on her aspect, and this one really feels like one.

It's... nice.

More than just nice actually.

It's... very _good._

Enough to elicit a smile and a soft pink tinge on her cheeks. Although she guesses that there are many different reasons why she might feel a bit flustered right now. All of them having to do with her presence in this specific room.

"It really suits you," The Mistress comments, head tilted slightly on the side as she admires that accessory - and the way she wears it - with approval. "But it's also a shame you are wearing it." She adds and Piper doesn't have to ask why, because the reason gets delivered to her in the form of another much slower once over that gets completed with another smile gleaming with malice and a rather seductive, purred "I would _love_ to punish a sweet thing like you."

"I... eh..." For some reason that goes beyond her comprehension, Piper's first response to that comment (which comes alongside the blush that she can feel it blazing on her cheeks) is to laugh. And it might as well be her last laugh considering the alarming way her heart has started galloping in her chest.

It's more like an awkward little chuckle than an actual laugh though.

It slips past her lips with that soft, breathy quality to it that gives away how incredibly _flustered_ she feels right now.

"I-I'm a pretty good girl, actually." She would have never thought it possible, but now she can actually feel her face flaring into an even brighter, hotter shade of red upon uttering that blatant, cringe-worthy _lie_.

She is _not_ a good girl.

She is a grown-up, successful businesswoman whose blonde hair and big blue eyes can be quite deceiving, and might even play a role to her benefit during business deals.

Because she just _loves_ being underestimated when doing business with a new associate only to prove _how wrong_ they are and fuck them over.

Although... even if that aspect and her ability to mask that side of her can turn very handy on occasions, she wishes that people outside of work would just _stop_ thinking of her as a fragile, innocent little thing.

A certain, tall, raven-haired, green-eyed woman, for example, _doesn't..._

But Piper still appreciates, immensely, the thoughtfulness and sincere consideration coming from her. As much as she likes the term of endearment that has been chosen for her and that sometimes slips...

Those are two of the many things about Alex that she _simply_ -

"Oh sweetheart, if only I had a quarter for every time I heard that one..." The attractive brunette chuckles, having spotted that lie quite easily, practically effortlessly, smiling wider at her, shaking her head knowingly, as if she has already figured her out.

"Either way..." She continues, dragging Piper for the rest of the way out from a series of very confusing thoughts, taking a couple of steps forward, with the same elegance and lightness that a hunting predator possesses, lowering her voice into a deep, low purr that goes straight to Piper's lower belly and leaves her wondering if Alex has taught such trick to all of her employees or if she has just deliberately chosen those who had a particularly pleasant, velvet-like, suave voice and a malicious smile that promises a lots of... _things._

"I'm sure I'd be able to find a way and make a pretty thing like you..." The brunette pauses, and after scanning her frame one more time, she meets her gaze again and licks her lips, triumphant, as if having spotted a hidden weakness. " _...disobey me._."

Piper struggles to swallow down what might be a _brick_ made of all the mingled contrasting emotions that rise from her stomach and almost threatens to choke her up. And yet, somehow, she still finds a way to speak through it.

"I'm... not sure I could go for something..." Her voice trails off as she glances towards the client that is currently laying down on her back on the table, legs spread open, all tied up like a present, and where her Mistress is lighting up a couple of... very colorful candles, and _not_ the scented kind, but more like the _paraffin_ kind. Which even Piper, inexpert as she is, knows exactly _how_ they are most likely going to be used.

"... _that_ intense." She concludes eventually, in a feeble voice. But... attached to that conclusive answer, Piper still hears that silent, inner _"yet"_ echoing as an afterthought from her subconscious.

When she glances back to the brunette she finds this look on her face, that smile adorned with a note of what looks like... _endearment._

"Aw, don't worry," The seductive brunette with the hypnotic, malicious dark eyes tells her, stepping closer to her, slowly, deliberately, so light on her steps, reaching out with one hand and stroking the underside of her jaw with the lightest brush of fingers, and that combined with the smoothness of satin of the glove makes Piper's next breath catch in her lungs. "I know how to be gentle. And I can have a feather-light touch even when I'm holding the whip."

When she pulls back, Piper almost whimpers in protest, her heart resuming beating double time.

"Just give it some thought." The captivating brunette suggests, smile widening mischievously - looking so analogous to another, familiar one - flashing with that same sense of satisfaction that Piper got a glimpse of but a few moments ago - as if she has just _accomplished_ something.

"I'm Isabella by the way." The woman informs, introducing herself at last, tipping the hat on her head and taking a step back and bending slightly on her knees to offer her a gallant half bow. "Feel free to ask about me when you'll have the basics and feel comfortable enough to venture into something of this caliber. I promise I'll be gentle." She assures, but it's only a matter of seconds before that smile grows with the mischievousness that Piper sees shimmering so invitingly into those dark eyes. "Unless of course, you _don't_ want me to."

With a wink and the blindingly white flash of that widening smirk, the Mistress leaves, before Piper can even get a chance to regain some minimal resemblance of composure, say anything, offer a response of any kind that isn't just gaping like a fucking idiot.

She can only watch as the seductive brunette turns around and, with a swagger, goes over to... _assist_ her colleague Mistress with the client tied up to the bondage table, stopping along the way to lay down the crop in order to pick up a flogger and announcing to all the ladies present in the audience that the show is about to begin and to get comfortable.

If Piper, just a few minutes ago, thought that she was boiling from the inside out with that mix bashfulness and awkwardness, now she believes that she must definitely be going up in flames.

She would even stay and enjoy whatever the show is going to offer, no matter the intensity, but the need to get some air is so much stronger, and so, she turns around with the intention to leave.

But just as she does so...

In the moment she turns towards the door...

 _There she is._

Alex...

But it's not seeing her there, standing in the doorway what catches Piper by surprise.

What makes her heart stutter out of its rhythm.

What makes all the sounds, the music, and voices around her fall into an indistinct, rustling noise, as if she has just plummeted underwater.

It's the look that she sees _blazing_ in her eyes.

The scorching green fire _burning_ in them behind the lenses of those dark-framed glasses.

And Piper instantly _knows,_ as soon as those precious, raw gems lock with hers, that Alex has _seen_ the exchange.

And she _knows,_ what is about to come even before Alex steps forward, eyes blazing with the most promising kind of danger that makes her insides twist and clench and melt on themselves.

She _knows_ even before the raven-haired woman grasps her hand and tugs her away and out of the room muttering a low _"Let's go"_ that sends electricity sparkling down Piper's spine and through her entire body, igniting every single nerve ending in its wake like an alarm.

 _She knows,_ heart hammering with hope, trepidation and the most thrilling anticipation all combusting together even before Alex drags her down the hallway, swimming through the sea of people, and brings her inside a room - probably the only empty room in the entire club, that has been left empty for reasons Piper couldn't honestly care less about examining right now with her chest that feels like it might be about to implode on itself at any moment, and reasons that gets eclipsed from her mind and lose any sense they might have had - just like everything else in the rest of the quickly fading world surrounding her does when, as soon as the door clicks shut behind them, locking them away from everything else, Alex spins her around.

Pinning her against the wall.

And there, upon feeling her breath - so harsh and hot as she growls against the back of her neck, deeply inhaling her perfume - and those grasping hands settling so firmly on her waist, lacking of even the most minimal trace of the usual gentleness that is usually _there_ even during the rougher moments of their sessions, under the rawness of that touch, Piper shudders apart.

Whimpering and quivering with the same anticipation that is pooling in her lower belly and between her legs in a rush of sticky heat.

And she just _knows_ \- differently from all the other rooms and everything else that is going on in the club - that whatever it is about to happen between these walls, is probably going to be the most forbidden thing of all.

The one set to break every rule in the book.

* * *

 **There. This seems like a good point to split the chapter...**


	16. Chapter 16

Happy Holidays everyone!

I hope you have enjoyed/are enjoying the festivities :) I may have taken advantage of them to work a bit more on this chapter. I really wanted to post one before the end of the year, as a thank you for you guys for being so awesome. I know my previous AN had a bit of a scolding tone, but believe me, I know that most of you are very patient, and I want to thank you for that and for being so amazing. I'm beyond flattered by all of your kind, lovely words and immensely happy that you have enjoyed the previous chapter so much! Thank you guys, really :)

Anyway, I know you have been patiently (a few impatiently too perhaps :P ) waiting for this chapter, especially since I ended the previous one as a cliffhanger, but you can't possibly be surprised by me still being a tease ;) However, here it is.

And yes, it starts right where I left it off, don't worry :P

Oh, by the way... I guess there is no need to put a _rough-sex_ scene warning, is there? ;)

I'll just leave you guys to it :D

Enjoy

* * *

There is a long list of wonderful things that Piper has experienced ever since she's made the decision of joining the club.

Things that she is both surprised and saddened about not having found anywhere else before, or with _anyone_ else for that matter. Which she knows is what makes all the difference.

Because she can confidently say that nothing that she has ever tried before, has ever affected her as strongly and profoundly, got such a magnificent response from her entire body, as the grounding, solid, warm feeling of Alex pressed against her like this does.

Her breath, so hot and moist against the back of her neck, and which sweetness at the nose - laced with a fresh note that fits in so perfectly with the scent of her skin, and the one of her luscious, long dark hair - is deceiving enough to _almost_ make Piper forget about the angry puffs with which it slips past Alex's lips.

 _Almost._

Because under the frantic beats of her own heart thrumming deafeningly in her ears, the only other sound that Piper is able to hear is that low, animalistic _growl._

And it's exactly that incongruity, the contrasting nature of those two elements, of that exquisite, delicate scent clashing so _magnificently_ against the harsher, rougher _beast_ that she can sense trashing inside Alex, what makes that _something_ (which is starting to feel a lot like an emotion) swell and hammer insistently in the cavity of her chest alongside each beat of her heart.

Piper might not know for sure what that feeling blossoming in her chest could be.

But she surely recognizes with exceptional ease the way it spreads lower, overfilling her already fluttery stomach before shooting further down, settling at the apex of her thighs with a heavy throb.

 _Desire._

In the rawest, most vicious and demanding form she has ever experienced it.

It almost actually _hurts._

 _Physically._

But that ache is not what makes her whimper.

For how... consuming that feeling might be, that's not what makes her knees grow weak and the rest of her body shudder under its crushing, elating presence coursing through her veins, scorching its way through her body and igniting every nerve ending. Raising goosebumps on her skin and leaving her tingling _all over_ with anticipation.

 _No..._

That's all _Alex._

Her smell, the way her hands settle on her waist, fingers digging into her bony hips, holding her firmly in place. The hot puffs of her breath caressing the back of her neck, and the way her body fits, oh so _perfectly_ against the back of her own, cradling its weakness and keeping it from crumbling further with her stronger, unyielding frame.

Each curve molds against the corresponding one of the other with the kind of perfection that shouldn't be there considering the roughness that brought them in such position, and yet, it's there nonetheless.

And Piper knows that that's not supposed to make a difference either way.

That _this_ is actually what makes it so perfect. _So authentic. Those_ contrasting emotions battling against each other for supremacy.

And then of course, to make all of those feelings rage with even more fierceness, there is Alex's voice, and the way it sounds when, as she traces the jut of her hips, following the sinuous curve of her waist, feeling the material of her dress and making her shiver all over again in the process, she speaks and tells her, "I'm not sure if you are going to get your deposit back for the dress."

That's the confirmation.

"For how beautiful you look in it, I can't wait to _tear it off_ you."

That's the ultimate proof that whatever _this is,_ is _not_ going to be gentle.

And while Piper might revel in that silent knowledge, quivering all over and sinking her teeth in her bottom lip to prevent from whimpering, she just can't get past that exquisite, spiked note of _anger_ that has seeped in the deep smoothness of Alex's voice rendering it even deeper, making it catch roughly at the edges with that undertone of danger from which Piper takes a guilty kind of pleasure in hearing. But also... an emotion she feels an obligation to soothe, _somehow..._

She has seen it.

Felt it.

Almost heard it, too. That _something_ that has snapped in Alex.

A noise that rung in her head with the deafening harshness that a thick, sturdy steel wire rope breaking would do when pulled from each side by an indomitable force.

And Piper knows that what has happened a minute ago, the interaction that Alex has witnessed between her and her... _employee_ , is the reason _why_ it broke.

The reason why she is currently in this position and Alex is _growling_ angrily against the back of her neck, and god... If that pleasure doesn't skyrocket upon feeling it and reminding herself of the thought, of that half-formed _fantasy_ that had just managed to peek from underneath her subconscious earlier; that one that had crossed her mind about possibly having Alex and feeling her _unrestrained._

She wonders if this is it. And if she could have turned that thought into a reality without actively doing _anything._

She wonders a thousand of different things at once but, with the guilt emerging, none of those questions overwhelming her are as important, as pressing as her need to soothe Alex...

"Alex, if this is about what you saw..." She starts, doing her best to keep her voice steady and preventing it from trembling like the rest of her body is doing under the overpowering pressure of the desire that only keeps swelling within her, but she knows to be unsuccessful. Right now she is beyond surprised that she is actually managing to speak at all, especially considering the hot puffs of air blowing against the back of her neck, which are making the whole "thinking" process increasingly more difficult, but not enough to erase the need to point out and reassure Alex that "I _wasn't_... she didn't make me do _anything._ "

Piper just _needs_ to specify that. And if she manages to somehow get a hold on herself in uttering that assuring truth, it's taken away and she gets thrown back off that delicate balance she had deluded she had found in trying to convey such assurance, in the instant Alex answers her with an unexpectedly rational, "Of course she _didn't._ "

And it's exactly the rationality in that response, the calm and startling gentleness paired with that growl what makes her sound all the more dangerous. And which thrill elicited by that exquisitely deep voice only pours gasoline on those devouring flames of desire that keep licking at Piper from the inside.

"But you _wanted_ her to, _didn't you?_ " The way Alex presents her that question, the knowingly _tilt_ in it, reaches places that Piper didn't even know existed inside of her. Those flickering flames reach dark and hidden, uncharted depths, casting long shadows on whatever remnant of sanity and reason was left in there, and where she can actually _feel_ something starting to stir awake upon hearing that warning tone. Which sounds all the more delicious when Alex, not waiting for her to answer, taunts her further.

"You wanted to get _a taste_ of _the whip_."

This time it's not a question. It's an actual, knowing statement.

Piper stiffens up immediately upon hearing the certainty held in that deep voice brushing against the back of her neck. She swallows, hard, but that doesn't prevent her face from flaring with the same scorching heat that is rising from her stomach, making the rest of her body combust on the spot and burn all the brighter when, out of that old, defense mechanism that its quickly crumbling on itself, getting buried under its own debris, Piper still finds herself denying the accusation.

"N-no... I-I just- _AH!_ "

The rest of her answer turns into a half scream when Alex grabs a fistful of her hair... and _pulls._

"Don't _lie_ to me." The raven-haired woman growls warningly in her ear, sounding even angrier, pressing her even harder against the wall as she _yanks_ her head back.

There is no pain though. The scream is mostly out of surprise for the harshness of the gesture.

A gesture that Piper welcomes in full, with a chant of _yes, yes, yes!_ echoing in her head and throbbing even more insistently between her legs as she finally starts surrendering to the flames enveloping her. She gets swallowed in their embrace, burning away the stinging, spiky embarrassment that results for admitting the truth to herself about how much she is enjoying this rougher version of Alex. And how strongly it is affecting her.

"I'll remind you that I have taken a glimpse and got the chance _to know_ and _understand_ how that kinky, wonderful mind of yours works." Alex reminds her, slowly letting go of the hold of her hair, Piper almost whimpers at the loss, but she manages to swallow down that noise of protest.

She knows that Alex is right.

There is no point in denying that accusation.

Alex has come to know her in an intimate way that _no one else_ has ever cared to do with her before.

Her own body shows her things that Piper is barely able to catch sign of herself.

And she doesn't dare to wonder what it might be giving away _right now._

She doesn't dare to wonder if Alex is able to see through the thick dense fog made of guilty pleasure and consequent embarrassment result from it. Because she knows that, attentive as she is, Alex has already seen _everything._

And even if it is just a silent knowledge, the only _honorable_ thing that Piper can do is to act by being _truthful_ to what she feels, and just admit that the Mistress that had approached her in that room a few minutes ago... "S-She... She made _a convincing argument_."

Just like that, Alex's growl turns into a hum of approval at her honesty.

"That's what I thought." She says, and that low, humming noise almost sounds like a silent praise that makes Piper all the more glad for their current position, because she is not sure that, with how weak her legs feel right now, she would be able to stand without Alex's body holding her up, pinning her in place.

"Too bad that you are stuck here with me instead then, _isn't it?_ "

But even that crippling feeling of weakness freezes up when Alex asks her _that_ question.

Because _no._

That firm, definitive answer rings in her head and gives her body a moment of stability with the resolution and certainty held in such response, even if she doesn't utter it out loud.

She might have deliberately fueled that fire (born from what she isn't sure might be exactly _jealousy,_ even though it surely seems close to it) but Alex is the only one that she _wants._

In fact, Piper can't honestly think of anything better than being in here, with Alex, alone, with the promise of what is about to come next hovering all over them and buzzing like sparks of electricity through their bodies pressed so close together.

Her spine tingles just _thinking_ about the vastness of promising possibilities that this outcome has opened up.

A vastness that gets reduced to a very specific idea it seems, when she feels Alex pull slightly away from her, and hears her reach for something in the dresser beside them.

"I guess I've been too soft on you." Alex ponders out loud, one-handedly rummaging through the contents of the top drawer. "But don't worry. I think it's about time I _remedy_ that."

The threat, the _warning,_ but mostly the _promise_ that Piper hears in those words sends a sharp stab of arousal straight to her lower belly, making the hot coil nestled there curl even tighter on itself.

And since she is far too curious to know what exactly Alex has been planning behind her back (kind of literally, _really_ ), she turns her head to the other side, hoping to see what the raven-haired woman is retrieving.

Unfortunately, the angle doesn't offer her much of a view, but when, after a little bit of searching she hears Alex humming victoriously, Piper catches a glimpse of the _item_ wrapped in her fist when she withdraws her hand and hurriedly closes the drawer.

She would even say that she never thought it possible, but in the instant she sees the toy, her entire body both tenses up and quivers with that combination of trepidation and anticipation, all while melting with the kind of relief that makes it impossible for her to suppress the new shiver that shoots down her spine.

The dildo doesn't have a harness.

But it has two extremities, the longer shaft with the blunt, flared head, and a much shorter, slightly thicker ending which purpose Piper understands immediately, even before she hears Alex unzip the fly of her pants and, after a bit of fumbling around, she hears the soft groan that slips past her lips.

Piper almost releases one too, and barely resists from turning around and _watch_ (even though she wouldn't see much) instead of just imagining that shorter, thicker end enter Alex.

As soon as both of those hands settle back on the light swell of her hips and Alex urges them back while pressing hers forward to make her _feel_ the new _addition_ standing between her legs, Piper finds herself begging and rocking her butt right against that _thick_ hardness.

" _Ple-ase..._ " Her voice even breaks with the effort she tries to put in keeping it steady, which is just beyond ironic.

But for once, pleas don't seem to be necessary.

Alex's hands are already hiking up her dress. Faithful to her warning about not being careful about it, but Piper _hardly_ cares about that right now. Not when Alex is nudging her feet apart and growling in her ear to "Spread those _gorgeous_ legs for me, pet."

Piper can only obey, bracing herself against the wall for stability, panting against the refined black and red damask wallpaper. It's soft, but also a bit rough and scratchy, like the feeling of Alex's blunt nails raking up the back of her thigh through the stockings and the noise of appreciation that rumbles in her chest as she does so.

Alex indulges in that moment, in appreciating that detail, in paying the deserved attention to those _assets_ that she has shown much appreciation for in every single occasion, but after that, as soon as the lower part of the dress is rolled up around her waist, exposing her black lace underwear, she doesn't waste time.

Usually, Alex _checks_ and makes sure that she is _ready,_ not that she ever needs to, because the prospect of the session itself is enough to _prepare_ Piper on its own along the way to the club. _Always._ That without mentioning what kind of levels her arousal reaches with all of the foreplay and teasing and taunting that Alex puts her through _before_ she finally decides to give in to her pleas and touch her _directly._

This time, however, Alex barely checks if she is wet enough - which she is.

 _Embarrassingly so._

It clings uncomfortably to her underwear. Sticking them to her heated sex.

And what happened in the past few minutes has _everything_ to do with the copious amount of that thick slickness currently pooling in her undergarments.

Alex doesn't even bother with those. She just... _tugs_ them on the side. Leaving Piper to inhale a sharp, shuddering breath that turns into a gasp when she feels the cool blunt head of the toy slide through her folds.

Alex guides it, using the wetness there to coat its length because of course, even a delightfully angry version of Alex is still considerate; that one is a trait embedded in her very core, in that subconscious level reserved for all the most important little details and where safety is concerned.

Alex nudges her clit once, deliberately, and Piper feels it _throb_ in response.

She would even beg her again, but her shortage of breathing makes it impossible for her to speak, and to render the situation even worse (in the most wonderful way) is feeling Alex lining herself up with her twitching entrance once the toy is slick enough.

There is no preparation of fingers circling the hard little bud of her clit or stretching her opening to _test_ the resistance there.

No, this time the thing that stretches Piper first and that she is ready to welcome with all her enthusiasm, is the thick, blunt head of that shaft.

Her eagerness however and her own body betrays her.

She tenses up a bit, instinctively, and Alex feels that. Groaning in frustration when she doesn't sink inside at the first thrust when her opening unexpectedly clenches, making the toy slide once again through her folds instead.

But that sound that Piper hears rumbling deep down in Alex's chest and scratching against the back of her throat (with that dangerous note that surely doesn't fail in sending another spark down her back, rendering her even more unstable on her own feet) is nothing compared to when she feels Alex's hand, so soft and soothing - so perfectly in contrast with the other one tightening around her waist - resting on the juncture of her thigh, before the raven-haired woman leans in, until her lips brush against that weak spot of her jaw.

"Don't fight me." Alex breathes hotly in her ear. "We both know you want _this._ "

She _does..._

Truer words have never been spoken. The obviousness of that fact must be oozing out of her even if her body, in its anticipation and trepidation is reacting in conflicting ways. But under that unexpected, soothing gentleness in Alex's touch, the patience in her voice - which, for once, doesn't seem to be there to last for more than just that one reassurance - is all it takes for Piper's body to start melting.

Because she not only _wants_ this and Alex with every fiber of her being. But she wants it with all the _roughness_ that Alex is _promising_ her.

She wants the authenticity and she wants to revel in the proof of that unrestrained passion afterward. Because this, as she already knows, is _definitely_ going to leave some marks behind.

" _I do_." Piper breathes back to her, barely above a whisper, and yet loud enough for Alex to hear her, even if she barely hears herself over the thundering of her heartbeat in her ears.

It's absurd how many energies it takes her to utter those two simple words. But her efforts are immediately rewarded when, upon hearing that confirmation and feeling her body relax accordingly with the same consent, Alex lines herself up again with her opening, and this time, as she pushes forward, aided by the thick layer of slickness coating the toy and with her opening offering _no_ resistance, her body opens up and welcomes the intrusion, allowing entrance without causing any pain at the sole exception of that little initial sting that she feels at the first stretch, as the wider part pops in, but that hint of pain only renders all of this more real, reminding her that _this_ is really happening. That willingly or not, she has managed to tear one of the rings of Alex's restraints.

She revels in that knowledge alone, taking as much pleasure in it as she does when the rest of the shaft slides for the rest of the way deep inside her, joining their bodies together.

 **. . .**

It's a tight fit.

It's _always_ a tight fit in this position. But Piper, sweet, dorky, _naughty_ Piper is _eager_ and _so_ open and _dripping_ for how _ready_ she is. For how much she _wants this._

There is no direct confirmation for consent this time. Alex doesn't stop from questioning the possible ambiguity of her earlier plea.

The softly whispered "I do" that followed that stuttered "please" is more than enough. And if it wasn't, Piper's entire body is speaking, or rather screaming out loud how much she desires her.

And there isn't ambiguity in all those easily recognizable signs.

It's all the consent that Alex needs. The most satisfying and most visible display of willingness that she needs to placate the beast trashing inside her and demanding to just _take her._

And so _she does._

...before she can stop to consider that under all of that harsh thrashing, there is her heart.

Swelling and throbbing with a similar need that, at the base, has that very same concept. To just... _have her._ In more ways than one.

She starts thrusting, drawing back her hips until only the tip remains inside, taking a profound delight in the way Piper tries to rock back at the loss, and absolutely _reveling_ when she slams back in, with a roughness that earns her a sharp cry of pleasure showing all of the young businesswoman's approval.

Her own groan of pleasure mingle in as the ridged seat of the toy puts pressure right against her throbbing clit.

Establishing a rhythm comes instinctively, and once she is satisfied with the frequency of the moans and sighs and whimpers that fall from Piper's parted lips, the only thing she has left to do, is to teach Piper the most important lesson of all...

 **. . .**

It's wonderful.

 _All of it._

The feeling of Alex's body pressed even tighter against her back, the fullness filling her so exquisitely, the rhythm that she has chosen...

It's just _perfect._

Well... _almost perfect,_ actually.

Because the only thing that would make this even better is if Piper would be able to touch Alex back, like she has been yearning to do _for weeks._

Clearly, that's not an option right now. But she takes a small amount of comfort in knowing that the specific design of the model of the toy that the raven-haired woman has chosen to wear (clearly way too impatient to bother with all the straps of a harness) also brings Alex a discrete amount of stimulation to her own core provided by the friction that she gets whenever she pulls out.

But with that knowledge - and hearing the confirmation of her suspicious in a series of low groans that brush hotly against the back of her neck everytime Alex draws her hips back - what makes Piper boil from the inside out with lust, what makes her desire skyrocket is when Alex - breathing already slightly labored, voice deep and husky - leans forward and starts taunting her. _Purposefully._ Perfectly aware of what kind of _effect_ it can have on her.

Even just feeling her hand reaching up, feeling her fingertips brush against her neck and, more specifically, against the rim of the leather collar tied there, is enough to make her _shudder._

"Maybe I should have tied the leash, too after all." Alex murmurs, sultry, in her ear.

The more Piper tries not to think about the meaning- the symbolism, behind the collar, a thought that has been buzzing in the back of her mind till the very moment Alex has showed it to her earlier, the harder she fails. And now, with those words echoing in her head...

She isn't sure whether jealousy might be the _actual_ emotion that she has somehow managed to trigger in Alex but... considering how _possessive_ Alex is acting right now... Well... The thought might intrigue Piper quite a bit even though she distantly finds such emotion deeply incongruous with Alex's confidence.

It just doesn't seem one of those that fits with her character. But perhaps that's exactly what intrigues Piper so much. Knowing that she might have triggered a potentially foreign emotion in the confident raven-haired woman.

A suspicious that grows even bigger and more invading with the next words that Alex breathes in her ear.

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes that your eagerness almost brings you under _the heel_ of another Mistress."

Piper could allow that same old defensiveness to get to her.

But... _no._

That part of her, just like her sense of reserve, have been scorched by the contagious, devouring flames of _lust_ coming off Alex and that have started flaring deep within her too as soon as she saw her standing there in the doorway of that room, and saw _that look_ on her face.

"I... I was _curious,_ " She admits, honestly, at last. And how her voice manages to remain steady she truly doesn't know, but there is much less sincerity when, a moment later - purely in a hopeful attempt to trigger once more _that reaction_ from Alex - she adds, "And she seemed to _know_ how to do her job..."

Piper is beyond delighted when she feels Alex's thrusts faltering for the briefest second, only to resume with even more purpose an instant later.

"I wasn't aware that my services were boring you _so much._ "

Piper instantly stiffens up upon hearing that. Her heart stutters to a halt, because that is _not_ the reaction she was looking to tickle in Alex, _at all._

But this time it's not defensiveness the thing that she feels swelling there inside her chest when she hastily argues against that accusation. But it's the urgent need _to reassure_ Alex. Because the last thing that the raven-haired woman has done is _bore her_ during their colorful session.

"I-I'm not! _I-_ " She doesn't get the chance to say anything more though that she gets silenced by the sound of Alex clicking her tongue in disappointment.

"You are already in pretty big trouble here, Piper." Alex reminds her as if she had forgotten. "I wouldn't trust that pretty mouth of yours to get you out of them right now."

Piper swallows the other protest that was already forming on her tongue.

Because Alex is probably right.

As incoherent as Piper feels in this moment she probably shouldn't try to argue back and try to use her eloquence, even though, now that Alex told her that, she only feels encouraged to do the exact opposite and _disobey_. Now that she has gotten a taste of how Alex is most likely going to react, _well..._ It's simply _addictive._ But she still wisely decides not to test her further right now.

The pounding that she is getting is more than rough enough. In the most _delightful_ ways.

"Just answer this..." Alex asks her then, her voice so low and guttural that Piper feels it rumbling deep within her own chest. " _Whose name_ is written beside yours in the contract you signed when you first joined in?"

To that question, Piper doesn't hesitate to answer, and her voice, surprisingly, (or maybe not considering what she is about to say) is perfectly steady (and not like the rest of her body, which shivers violently in response to Alex's exquisitely deep voice) even if breathless when she whispers a firm _"Yours."_

Another little half-gasp, half-scream is ripped from her throat and another shock of electricity shoots down her spine, adding to the pleasure unfurling from that tight spring coil twisted in her lower belly when Alex accompanies her next harsh thrust by sinking her teeth into that extremely weak, wonderfully responsive and sensitive spot between her neck and jaw, just under her ear.

"That's right." She husks hotly when she pulls back after having left the imprint of her bite there. "And you know what that means?" She asks with that same tone dripping with danger and spiked with the most thrilling kind of _possessiveness_ that makes Piper tremble all over in advance and brace herself harder against the damask wall. "That _you,_ your _pain,_ and especially your _pleasure_ are _mine_ to take," Alex growls. "My _duty_ to fulfill, and _no one else's._ "

Piper can feel it.

Even with everything else going on inside her. Even with the storm of emotions and sensations raging within her, wrecking her from the inside out and adding thunders and lighting with each possessive word that Alex hisses in her ear.

She can perfectly feel that little _stutter,_ the _jerking_ in Alex's hips, how uneven her thrusts and how _strained_ her voice has become.

How much her breathing (which she will never be able to understand _how_ the raven-haired woman manages to keep controlled even when said control is clearly crumbling, _kneeling_ in surrender before the indomitable force of lust) has grown increasingly more shallow, and the hands resting on her waist have started tightening their hold there.

Her fingers twitch as they dig harder into her waist, using her leverage there to keep herself steady and get - each time she pulls out - a better friction against... _her own core._

The realization of what that means, of what is _happening_ is as magnificent as it is startling. It makes Piper's next breath catch in her throat and her inner muscles clench tightly around the thickness filling her to the hilt, and that sensation turns out to be one half of her undoing, because when Alex concludes her _lesson_ by leaning in closer, brushing her lips against the shell of her ear and breathing hotly _"I'll make you remember that"_ before introducing one hand down her dress, squeezing it in what little space is left between her front and the wall, pulling her underwear aside for the rest of the way to expose her clit... _well..._

Piper can barely brace herself for it.

But she has never been able to prepare herself for Alex's touch. For the warmth of that palm, for the delightful brush of those extremely skilled, nimble fingers.

Her clit twitches as soon as they brush against her. And when Alex orders her to "Come _for me Piper_ " she is forced to do just that.

It's all she needs to hear.

The ultimate permission that allows the rest of her body to _snap._ Free, at long last, of that string that was holding her hostage.

There is no preventing the coil inside of her from breaking - eager as she is to obey Alex and _prove_ as well as _reassure_ that _no one_ can command her body better than her. Not even _herself._

This time, however, for the first time _ever,_ Piper finds herself caught in between the uncomfortable and surprising grasp of doubt and her own need.

Because for how much she wants to take that orgasm and let it flow through her veins and nervous system to consume the rest of her, now that she knows how _close_ Alex is to follow her down that precipice, the thing that she wants more than take her own pleasure, is feeling Alex come _with her._

It's almost visceral.

But... With the fullness filling her, stretching her so delightfully, and that hand drawing wickedly perfect circles around her clit... She is left with _no choice._

The stimulation is too much and she doesn't have enough willpower left to resist it.

And so, at last, her body, and Alex's next thrust - angled on purpose to hit that wonderful spot her against her front wall that makes sparks flare behind her closed eyelids - choose for her.

She gets backed against the edge of that precipice and she is left with no way out other than plummet into the embrace of the bliss waiting for her into those depths.

 _She falls._

Every muscle in her body tenses up, her lungs refuse to draw in even the smallest sip of air, leaving her breathless as her inner walls clench and ripple and spasm around the shaft buried deep inside her, only letting out a wordless scream of ecstasy when that coil inside of her _snaps_ in a rush of heat.

It spills out of her and runs between her trembling thighs in _a flood._

And yet, for how wonderful, for how _liberating_ it feels letting go of something that has been there, _twisting_ tightly on itself ever since she saw Alex this evening, and growing tighter with each glance that the raven-haired woman has thrown her way, there is... something _missing._

 _Something_ that wasn't there during any one of their private sessions. And yet, an element that this time she craves more than anything else. Maybe because _this,_ right here, right _now,_ isn't a session at all.

She searches for it as best she can, or rather as much as her current position _allows her_ to. Fighting against her own quivering, spasming muscles and trying to rock her hips back and get Alex that extra friction that she clearly needs to _get there._

But despite her best efforts, despite her intention and firm resolution, her body is far to gone to respond to whatever remnant of coherency and reasoning and coordination is left in her.

She doesn't give up willingly though. Not until she is _forced to_ by the next wave of pleasure that drags her adrift and overwhelms her senses. Drowning her in its blissful essence until her ears ring and she finds herself toeing the edge of unconsciousness.

She lingers there for a short eternity, and then, for the third time in less than ten minutes, as those harsh spasm and heavy twitching subside and she gets slowly dragged back to the shore by the much gentler (yet always very intense) waves of aftershock that follow, Piper is deeply thankful for not having to worry about holding herself up as she pants, trying to regain some awareness, because Alex does that for her.

 _Alex..._

Alex who has stilled behind her.

Alex who is still buried deep within her and is groaning softly in what sounds like a combination of satisfaction for the slick, moist result running between her thighs (and probably staining her pants too), but also... _frustration,_ caused by her own _unquenched need._

And it's exactly that fact, that _urgent_ matter, what is enough to make Piper snap from her recovering state and regain the rest of her awareness in the blink of an eye.

Her body might even protest under the sudden movement as she straightens up. Her inner muscles may protest as well when she reaches behind her and urges Alex back, mourning the loss of that delightful stretch and pressure resting within her as soon as the raven-haired woman (probably out of concern) draws her hips back and pulls out.

She may actually _hate_ the nothingness filling her all of a sudden. But there is _nothing_ that repays her most than seeing the look on Alex's face when she turns around and, so fast that under different circumstances she would even wonder if it can be humanly possible, especially considering the conditions of her still quivering recovering body - she reverses their position.

 _Backing Alex against the wall._

Shivering at the gasp of surprise that falls from those rosy lips and that gets swallowed by that exquisite, rough growling sound when Piper drops down on her knees.

Now it's _her_ _turn._

And she has been waiting for it for _a long_ time.

She _needs_ it as much as Alex probably does. And that's what she tries to convey when she glances up at the raven-haired woman from her new position. No longer afraid of plummeting into those endless, bottomless green lakes.

She has already accepted her fate.

Now, she is _embracing_ it.

And even though there is nothing that she would like to do most than just tear Alex's pantsuit down and put her mouth to use like she has longed to for a while, once she finds herself right in front of the glistering, thick, _heavy_ shaft of the toy that has been buried deep inside her to the hilt but a few moments ago, and sees how it _shimmers_ with the result of her pent-up desire, her mouth _waters._

Her tongue gets suddenly heavy, and it darts out to wet her dry lips.

The decision she reaches is surprisingly fast and definitive.

She looks up at Alex one more time and bravely holds her gaze as she leans in. Circling the flared head of the toy with the tip of her tongue before taking it between her lips and... _sucking._

 **. . .**

To say that Alex is surprised would be the hugest understatement of the century.

But the element of surprise in seeing Piper stripped from that endearing layer of bashfulness and flickering with the flames of lust, is easily and quickly dismissed in favor to make space to the other much more invading feeling that swells inside her chest, threatening to overwhelm her when she sees the young businesswoman drop on her knees and suck hungrily the tip of the toy between her lips.

The sharp stab of arousal that hits her lower belly, adding to the rest coiled there already, only drives her closer to insanity.

Alex knows to be faltering, she knows that she is _slipping_ and the only way to help her back away from the quickly approaching foreignness of unsteadiness, is to cover up the chinks in her confident and controlled demeanor by showing the dominance she usually would when faced with a situation such as this one.

And so, in a desperate attempt to look still in control, she lifts her chin, swallowing down that feeling thrumming in her throat, and looking down at Piper, reaching out with one hand to stroke her cheek and cradle it in her palm.

"You like that don't you?" She asks, barely recognizing her own voice for how deep and guttural it has become but that also seems to affect Piper quite a bit considering the shiver that she sees racing through the length of the young blonde's spine. Or maybe it's the result of hearing the other, more explicit half of her accusation. "You like tasting yourself like this after I _fucked_ you."

She doesn't know what to expect, specifically, in response to that beside that delightful shiver.

Maybe to catch a glimpse of that lovable shade of pink tinging her cheeks. But, once again, Piper manages to surprise her once more.

She bobs her head over her lap one last time, going in deeper, as far as her gag reflex allows her, which is... _impressive_... and then, as she pulls back, she lets the shaft slip out from between her lips, looking up at her from underneath her eyelashes.

Eyes dark and deep an unpenetrable, yet _so open_ and shimmering, like a midnight sky.

" _I do..._ " She breathes, her usually smooth voice sounding so low and husky that is almost unrecognizable as she offers the same response from earlier and looking totally unabashed as she does so despite the faint pink scalding her cheeks. But this time that light, lovely tinge is not the result of embarrassment, but more like the kind of flustered state due to her very recent, literally _draining_ orgasm.

Seeing her like this catches Alex by surprise. The kind that hits her hard and squarely in her lower abdomen, where all her need is still knotted tightly and waiting to be properly unfurled.

"But I've been waiting to taste you _for so long,_ " Piper confesses, and... there is no misinterpreting that admission or the hands that reach up for the front of her pants, above the opened fly from which the toy is jutting out, and to the button there.

She pops it open with a flick of her thumb, but doesn't do anything else except... looking up at her with those big, deep blue eyes _imploring_ her with that same raw need that is making her squirm on the spot.

"Please," Piper begs her. " _Let me._ "

There is something that Alex feels catching in her chest upon hearing that plea and seeing that look of profound desire etched on those beautiful, young features.

It trips over her next heartbeat and almost makes her choke on her next breath, too.

She wants to tell Piper that she doesn't have to ask, instead, not trusting her voice right now or (even less) that feeling that seems to have settled within the muscle beating frantically in her chest, she just... reaches between her own legs and after a little fumbling and a muted groan she pulls out the part of the shaft that was resting inside herself and that was keeping the toy in place. She sets it aside on top of the near dresser from where she retrieved it just a few minutes ago, and then, with her dry hand, she laces her fingers through Piper's silky soft hair and wordlessly gives her consent by urging the young woman close to her center.

Apparently, in its subtlety, the invitation is more than enough. Piper, who was already starting to lower her pants and boy shorts, accepts it by showing all of her eagerness. And Alex is left there, bracing against the wall in preparation of what is about to come.

The long, silent deep breath that she sucks in, does nothing to subdue the desire twisting and gnawing at the apex of her thighs.

And the enveloping warmth of Piper's mouth only makes it burn all the brighter.

It starts with a string of kisses up the inside of her thigh as her pants and underwear get lowered around her ankles, and then... Without further delay or teasing, Piper looks up at her one last time before dipping her head and parting her lips.

The first time Piper touches her, it's with her tongue.

And that first lap, for how gentle, it isn't tentative or explorative at all.

No matter how aroused she is right now, Alex would have understood if the young woman showed signs of hesitation at the last moment. She almost _expected_ to see some. But she is definitely not disappointed when she doesn't see any trace of uncertainty, _anywhere_ in Piper. And, if anything, that burst of confidence only adds to the pleasure of that first lap that makes her clit twitch in response and elicits the softest groan from her lips.

Alex is used to feel that tickling-like sensation at the first slippery brush of a tongue between her legs. Right now however, she is so far beyond being simply aroused that it shouldn't even shock her so much that, when Piper swirls her clit with her tongue, the first thing she feels is an unexpectedly sharp stab of pure pleasure carving itself deeper into her belly to add to the knot nestled there.

It makes her hand shoot lower, fingers carding through Piper's blonde hair, destroying her lovely hairstyle result of hours of work in the process, while her legs part with a volition of their own, as much as her pants - lowered to her shins - allow her to anyway.

But that's more than enough to give Piper the proper space she needs to move more... _freely_ , and for once, Alex has nothing else to do but just force herself to breathe as that exquisite, moist warmth envelops her. Even though there is no controlling the way her heart gallops away in her chest when Piper looks up at her with those deep blue eyes of hers filled with lust, gratefulness and also... with something that looks a lot like a potentially dangerous... _affection._

 **. . .**

Alex tastes like nothing she could have ever dreamt of in her most uncensored dreams, or imagined in her wilder fantasies, which might have, on occasion (very often) ventured towards _that_ exact direction.

She expected something stronger, something that would match with the raven-haired woman's captivating personality, but, for how contradictory, she is both surprised and at the same time _she isn't_ when she finds out- when she _realizes,_ that Alex's taste is just - like her scent - made of the perfect blend.

Her arousal is mild at the nose, so much lighter than her own, and even more so at the taste.

Delicate and subtly sweet.

Balanced by that soft note of salt.

It has her addicted since the very first drop touches her tongue. But it conquers her completely at the second, more generous sample that she takes, truly getting the chance to savor it in full like she would when sipping an expensive, rare wine, letting the taste unfold on her palate and envelop her senses. Even though... she's never come across a sauvignon blanc that was half as intoxicating as Alex.

No matter the abundance she is met with, she doesn't let a single drop of that sweet nectar escape under her attention. Running her tongue between those soft, smooth folds and, of course, drinking directly from the source.

She would probably even indulge more and catch the glistening smear left on the inside of Alex's creamy thighs, instead, she cranes her neck and plunges deeper between those slender and feminine, yet exceptionally strong legs.

Because she definitely hasn't forgotten that Alex is already almost _there_ and that she has been toeing that edge ever since she was fucking her into oblivion barely a couple of minutes ago. And with that knowledge weighing down on her with such urgency, no matter how much she would like to indulge in this, she just _needs_ to make Alex come. And make her reach that glorious peak _like this._

And she couldn't be more delighted when Alex, for once, encouraged by her enthusiasm, her actions, and her display of submission paired with the burst of confidence, allows her own demanding need to break another one of those sturdy links forming the chain of her admirable self-restraint.

Up until today, Alex has always taken care of _her_ needs, putting her own aside during every single session. But this... this _isn't_ a session, Piper reminds herself once more. Even if their dynamic has remained the same, and she wouldn't want it any other way. Because she can't imagine another position that would bring her a more gratifying pleasure than her current one. Staying on her knees like this and pleasuring, tasting, and _testing_ (without teasing) her Mistress' essence and responses so... _intimately._

Her eagerness, her _enthusiasm_ makes all the nonsense doubts born from thoughts like _"I've never done this before"_ get quickly scorched by the cocktail of aftershock and adrenaline overflowing her veins and making her shake all over with the jittery excitement that only a "first time" can bring.

There are no certainties at the exception of the one winding through her system; the one that runs deeper within her about how much she wants to bring Alex the same kind of pleasure that the raven-haired woman never fails to bring _to her._

Piper just wants to make her feel _good._

...she wants to show her how much _she-_

"Oh, _fuck!_ "

That loud curse falling from Alex's lips snaps her attention out from some startling thoughts, making her realize that, even without having any direct experience in this, Alex's own teaching, and the touches that she has preciously archived just in case a wonderful occasion like this would show up, are turning out to be _extremely_ effective.

Pride swells inside her chest. Blossoming alongside another emotion that is there, in each beat of her heart, which almost threatens to burst out of the cage keeping it trapped when she dares glancing up and she sees Alex; head tilted back, lips parted in a muted groan, eyes closed, and that little frown settled between her perfectly sculpted brows.

She always looks _divinely_ beautiful.

But witnessing her in this rawest version, were a primal instinct is ready to claim her completely... It's just wonderful.

 _Glorious._

It encourages Piper to increase her efforts, wanting to see the rusty remnants of that quickly slipping chain of control shatter and crumble off that majestic frame and from those gorgeous features.

She doesn't have a lot of experience (or even any _at all, really_ in this) sure, but fueled as she is by that need that pulses more and more insistently by her own renewed desire, she doesn't _need_ experience. She grows more and more confident with each lap of her tongue and sucks of her lips, alternating between them (because she probably had the very _best_ teacher in the world to show her how this gets done _right_ ) and obtaining the most gratifying results from Alex, whose gasped groans and shuddered breaths - and twitching fingers against her scalp and the most delightful feeling of her creamy, toned thighs _trembling_ under her hands - only feed her confidence more and renders her bolder.

It's only a matter of moments.

Or rather of firm swirls of her tongue and sucks of her lips.

And when she catches the first signs of Alex losing her balance over that precarious, slippery edge, Piper finds herself again trapped in that grasp of wanting to push her off so she can watch her plummet down into that abyss - and relent, in order to savor this... addictive display for _just a few moments longer._

She has never enjoyed or took even an ounce of pleasure in paying this kind of attention before.

But those experiences were meaningless. _Empty._ Even those that she naively thought held some _potential._

 _While this..._

Piper gets drawn back from those saddening thoughts before they can get the better on her, and to the delightful present (which a part of her might still find hard to believe being the actual reality) by the much more insistent rocking motion of Alex's hips as the raven-haired woman chases her tongue while the hand settled on the back of her head tries to keep her in place. As if Piper would ever even just _think_ about giving up that sweet, slippery warmth.

The impatience showing on those gestures, however, say everything about how close Alex is getting to losing her footing and trip over that edge.

And they also provide Piper with the answer that she needs to end that dilemma about wanting to prolong this or just... _give in_ and push her over for the rest of the way.

The tiny bit of reluctance that clings onto her, has Piper realize with startling clarity why Alex always makes her wait by delaying her requests to come for a few seconds that sometimes stretch into full minutes.

The sense of power that results from doing so, knowing that _she_ is the one to _chose_ when and how to grant such permission... It's simply intoxicating.

The fumes of it cloud her vision and fill her lungs but... She doesn't let them suffocate her.

She might be curious to know how much Alex can take if she would shift her insistent methodical laps into something far less purposeful.

Her own core _throbs_ at the possibilities of the reactions that she could witness. But right now, Alex's need has become _her own_ need.

And so, she seals her lips around her one last time, suckling at that hard little bundle of nerves with purpose, flicking the tip of her tongue firmly around it, and...

That's all it takes for that coiled tightness in Alex's belly to finally unfurl.

Time ceases to exist in the moments that follow.

And even though Piper possesses a pretty vast dictionary, she doesn't think that there are words, in any known language to describe how _deeply_ rewarding, satisfying and _elating_ it feels when Alex comes.

Her head tilts back, her mouth falls open, howling a raspy, breathy, husky moan at the ceiling while her hips rock forward with a will of their own, chasing her slippery tongue and making Piper forget about her aching jaw. Opening her mouth wider instead to widen the area of direct contact. Wanting to make Alex fall in slow motion, and bring her to as much of a smooth descent as the surprisingly crushing orgasm will allow her to.

She doesn't know if she is going to succeed in her inexperience, but she tries her best anyway, barely believing that she has accomplished something that she never thought she could do. An occasion she was starting to believe was never going to present.

Something as apparently _impossible_ as breaking Alex's restraints and unbendable control.

And yet here she is. _Reveling_ at the sight of Alex shuddering so magnificently under her hands, under her _tongue._ _Throbbing_ between her _lips._

Knowing that Alex is reacting like this for her, _because of her..._ is as sweet as the essence coating the inside of her mouth and leaving smudges on her chin.

 **. . .**

Considering how close she was, Alex shouldn't be surprised by the force that drags her down with such fierceness.

Her pleasure blooms and expands and _burst_ in the most spectacular eruption that scorches her to the very core and _burns_ whatever trace of air had been trapped in her lungs.

That lack of air though renders the entire experience all the more intense.

She's always known the effect that that sense of breathlessness brought, but she had never experienced it with such a startling intensity.

It drains the strength from her already twitching, quivering muscles, but the way she grips tighter onto the back of Piper's head for support as a result of that sudden weakness seeping into her bones, definitely doesn't seem to mind the young blonde woman.

It's quite the opposite in fact. Or so it seems when Piper responds to that tighter grasp by humming in approval and tightening her own hold onto the back of her naked thighs.

And it is only now, that that seal has finally snapped that Alex realizes that it has been there _for weeks._

Her attempts to break it have been fruitless and... And she really can't think about the circumstances that brought to its glorious ending. To the release of pent-up energy she was starting to think there were no other ways to set free.

Letting it flood her system to the crashing point is tremendously liberating.

But when the pleasure that has devoured her starts tapering off, what renders this moment all the sweeter is being greeted back to the spinning world as soon as she blinks her eyes open, by the sight of Piper looking up at her with something that looks like adoration sprinkled by a fair amount of satisfaction that Alex kind of knew she would have found on those young lovely features and sparkling into those stunning, deep blue eyes.

She reaches down with one (slightly shaky) hand, cradling Piper's face in her palm, stroking her cheek with her thumb, distractedly wiping at a smudge of her own pleasure at the corner of her mouth, in something that is less like a praise and more to return that... unnamed _something_ that is still buzzing, even more intensely between them right now with the vicious shock of her orgasm turning into something quieter, but that grows once more into a blazing heat that reaches even deeper within her and burns scorchingly in her chest when Piper - after one last indulging lap to gather whatever is left of her orgasm between her folds - leans against her hand... and turns her head to lay _a kiss_ on the inside of her wrist.

That irrational annoyance, that... _spark_ that felt a lot like anger and that had possessed Alex earlier, is gone. _Extinguished._

But now, there is a new feeling that she can feel getting stuck in her throat in front of that gesture, in feeling those soft lips press an even softer kiss on that spot.

Trying to swallow it is futile, but she does her best to mask how deeply it affects her, sliding her hand on the back of Piper's neck and giving her a little tug, urging her up on her feet.

The young woman complies on her own slightly shaky legs and for a moment, as Piper comes to her eye level, and she is met with those same deep pools of blue and all the emotions swimming within them, Alex feels the need to divert the attention from that _thing_ that is still there, growing tighter and hotter in her chest.

She doesn't like to think of it as some sort of defense mechanism, but she knows that it must be it when the temptation to compliment Piper with something lighthearted and humorous like _"You are a natural in this,"_ or _"I shouldn't be surprised that you are_ so _talented with that smart mouth"_ surfaces, hoping that that light shade of humor would help in loosening up that knot of emotions and foreign sensations that got all tangled up within her.

But it's exactly that feeling expanding in her chest that doesn't allow her to, and even if there was any chance for Alex to recover from it, when Piper's eyes lock with hers with an intensity that could pierce through and melt stone, that hope gets ecplised and she finds herself robbed of her voice, too, in the moment the young businesswoman, after thoroughly licking at her lips, states what that look (as well as the rest of her body speaking through loud signs) is already telling her.

"I want you again."

Maybe it's the breathy quality of that smooth voice, or the way that blunt statement gets reinforced (probably unconsciously) by the squirming that she does on the spot, trying to press her thighs together with the urge to suppress the ache of desire swelling there anew. But Alex _feels it_ too.

It hits her stomach first.

Erupting into a vicious flutter that spreads lower and settles heavily, knotting tightly once more in the depths of her belly.

Because for how satisfying, this was _hardly enough_ for her.

Barely an appetizer to temporarily sate her hunger.

It definitely doesn't take much convincing. But when, after (unsuccessfully) swallowing that knot down, she reaches for the toy discarded on top of the dresser...

"No..." Piper tells her, softly, shaking her head and taking her hand in hers, pulling it gently away from the feeldoe. "Leave it." She requests, and Alex does, but her confusion shows with the little frown that settles between her eyebrows and that she can't suppress.

"I want to feel _you,_ Alex." Piper explains, voice growing breathier, feeble, yet stronger and confident all at once, and as deep and filled with want as those suddenly impenetrable blue eyes into which Alex finds herself helplessly plummeting into.

"I want to feel _all of you._ " Piper states definitively, hands reaching for the buttons of her shirt for good measure. Popping the first couple ones from the collar open with a surprising regained steadiness and a layer of very attractive confidence that makes the beast inside Alex _roar_ back to life.

She abandons the toy, stepping out from her pants, underwear and shoes at once. And then, Piper hands are on her. _All over her._ Twitching with impatience as they slide the blazer off her shoulders, the vest and tie follow in a matter of moments, and, at last, her shirt.

Every piece of garment shed firstly under that burning, hungry gaze, before getting abandoned on the floor.

And then it's Alex's turn.

Piper, eager as ever, stripped from that adorable, endearing layer of bashfulness, may lower her own zip on the back of her dress, but Alex has the pleasure of peeling it off her and drinking in the sight of that smooth skin getting revealed under the soft red hue of the light in the room.

There are no beds here. She has been using this empty room as temporary storage for the party. So the couch backed against the wall near the rest of the furniture piled ordinately there will have to do.

She guides Piper backward towards it as they finish to undress each other, but once they reach their destination, Piper is the one pulling her down on it.

Right on top of her slender frame.

Welcoming her between the sweet, slick, warm cradle of her parted legs.

And where Alex feels immediately _at home._

 **. . .**

The couch may not be as comfortable as the foam beds in the session rooms, but the position and the feeling of Alex settling on top of her, the feeling all of those exquisite curves lining up with her own in that ridiculously perfect match, is what makes all of this just... _perfect._

For how wonderful is has felt having that hard thickness _stretching her_ earlier, there is _no comparison_ with the long talented fingers that, soon enough, find their way at the apex of her thighs, lingering for a moment there, where her clit is hard again and longing for her touch, before going lower, where her opening is still stretched, welcoming her inside with ease thanks to the new, fresh gush of warmth that has just poured out of her as an enthusiastic greeting.

The bliss that radiates through her, lighting up every nerve ending at the feeling of being filled again makes her sob and brings tears to her eyes.

It's... almost _euphoric._

Her inner muscles clench possessively around that delightful intrusion, wanting to keep Alex there, deep inside of her, but she is betrayed by her own slickness, which doesn't grant her a strong enough grip to keep them inside her for more than a few ecstatic moments before the raven-haired woman starts thrusting, and there are no words to say how much Piper appreciates the immediate steadiness and purposefulness of that rhythm.

She clings onto Alex, bracing herself for the second ride, and reveling at how soft and hard

Alex feels under her hands, pressed like this against her own body.

Her hard, toned muscles are layered by the softest smoothest expanse of skin. The warmth radiating off her combined with her own makes Piper feel like she might be boiling from the inside out, and adding to that there is also the scorching heat of her renewed, demanding desire that sets her on fire, threatening to turn her to ashes when, _refusing_ to allow Alex to find her own release by just _grinding_ against her thigh (no matter how wonderful it feels) she abandons the firm swell of that perfect ass to introduce one shaky hand between their already slick-sweat bodies instead and cup Alex's sex in her palm.

She doesn't mean to do so immediately. But Alex is _so wet_ that when her fingers slide a bit lower, they slip inside that clinging heat by mistake; as easily as Alex has done with her.

Piper is definitely not disappointed though, but she is also not one bit prepared for the tumult of emotions and sensations that collide within her at that feeling.

She has touched herself.

She _knew_ how it would be like, what she was _to expect._

But her imagination hasn't provided her with _a fraction_ of the wonder that she experiences once she gets swallowed into that tight, _rippling_ heat and hears the soft groan rumbling in Alex's chest in response to the penetration, or feel her shift her hips to _adjust,_ to welcome her _better,_ to take her further _inside_ as her head drops forward, caught by surprise by that intrusion that leaves her panting softly against the crook of her neck.

Being inside her, actually _inside her_... makes Piper feel dizzy.

Her head spins, as everything else surrounding her seems to do, but not even that feeling of lightheadedness and vertigo is enough to relent her. If anything, once she feels Alex roll her hips forward, grinding against her palm, she is only more encouraged to start moving. Once again taking Alex's lessons and _instructions_ as example, but, ultimately, _listening_ to what the raven-haired woman needs, to _how_ her body moves, and adjusting accordingly to _that._.

They start moving as one before Piper can even realize it. Thrusting and grinding against each other with a naturalness that surprises her even if deep down she knows that she shouldn't be.

Because Alex already _knows_ her. She has spent _hours_ learning her and her body, dutifully _archiving_ every little reaction, and even though Piper hasn't had the pleasure to do so as well, she is finding out that learning Alex comes surprisingly easy. Almost... _instinctive._

It comes as natural as breathing. Even though, right now, that is something that is turning out to be quite challenging actually, with the air between them growing thinner and heightening that sense of dizziness, but hell... if it doesn't also heighten _every_ other sense in the process, too.

The position doesn't allow her to thrust inside Alex as steadily as she wants but it seems like what little penetration she manages and the way Alex grinds against the palm of her hand, provide her with more than enough stimulation to soon reach her.

Without that element of anger to stand in the way with all of its delightful fierceness and roughness, Piper is able to feel what was lying underneath it.

The sharp edges have been smoothed out, leaving just a few spikes that sting oh so pleasantly with a couple of particularly harsher thrusts, but under that, Piper can feel... _something else._

The feeling that was at the very _base_ of that mix of anger and... and _something_ she is not sure if it could really have been jealousy or Alex trying to just teach her a lesson by improvising and using _that_ emotion as _an excuse._

The fact that Alex's confident core might have been affected by such emotion seems absurd to a laughable point.

All Piper knows for sure, is that that feeling resting at the base and its crashing force have managed to shatter that wall that has brought them like this, _finally_ on the same side.

And contrastingly to... whatever it was _that thing_ that has made Alex react like she did earlier, this one is impossibly softer.

Fragile, and extremely _vulnerable._

But even something so fragile can still find a way to pierce her skin and make its way in her chest, seeping in her bloodstream and making her heart beat faster, until it gallops in that frantic and erratic rhythm that only heightens the emotions swelling there and tightens her throat, stinging like unshed tears in her eyes.

The passion is still there, that flame has definitely not been extinguished in their short recovery and trip towards the only piece of furniture in the room where they could lay down.

The ardency with which it burns is hot enough to scorch the doubts and any other thought that doesn't fit or that even threatens to bring them to the reality made of rules and make them realize that this is probably something that they _shouldn't_ be doing.

Such a tiny voice echoing so weakly under her need and desire that she doesn't even have to try to dismiss it. It grows mute against the rush of blood in her ears and the delightful sound that slips from Alex's lips when she curls the tips of her fingers inside of her, stroking a newly discovered, very sensitive spot that causes the muscles around her to ripple in the most _exquisite_ way that steals her breath away.

Her own inner muscles squeeze around the long, talented fingers pressing deeper inside her.

She is _almost_ there.

And Alex must feel it too if the soft growl that scratches the back of her throat so exquisitely when her inner walls flutter around her is any indication - and, surprisingly enough, for once, she doesn't seem to give sign to relent like she usually does when she realizes that she is _this_ close.

It's just another proof. Another confirmation that this, is not an improvised session.

To Piper, the promise of that impending orgasm is compelling, it makes her whole body buzz with anticipation, her insides twist and flutter, but...

For how sweet and rewarding she knows her release is going to be, there is... _another thing_ that would make it even more wonderful, powerful, and render this entire moment all the more meaningful, absolutely unforgettable and just... _perfect._

And it has to do with how impossibly _close_ Alex's lips are to her own.

Her breath feels so light and sweet as it caresses her cheeks in hot puffs of air, brushing oh so delicately her own lips. Making them tickle even more with the _urge_ to _just_ -

" _Please..._ " That plea slips out without her consent. _Broken._ But her voice is not the only thing that betrays her and startles her. Because even her other hand, possessed by its own will, leaves the firm roundness of Alex's butt and reaches up, trembling, carding through that impossibly soft, thick, proud dark mane.

Alex's eyes blink open. Her gaze so dark and lustful drifts immediately to her lips, as if having perceived _exactly_ what she craves, and Piper feels her heart catch in her throat at the next beat in front of that immediate understanding.

The fact that Alex is so perceptive with her needs without her having to utter them out loud is what has always rendered this so magnificent, and yet, so _torturous_ all at once.

Because she knows that they _can't._

She closes her eyes, not wanting to see the refusal and the apologetic look that she knows would follow.

She couldn't bear it.

And so, instead, with the sourness of tears stinging her closed eyes, she does the only thing she knows she can take. And that is the pleasure that unfurls deep down in her belly and seeps into her veins with the next couple of particularly delightful thrusts of Alex's hand followed by a few methodical curls of her fingertips against that magic spot against her front wall.

Breathless, she arches into that touch, surrendering once more to the bittersweet bliss that claims her.

It's wonderful, but that small _piece_ that would complete all of this in the most magnificent way is still _missing._

Until, all of a sudden... it _isn't._

Because she might have resisted, no matter how hard every fiber of her being has been _screaming_ for her to _just_ do it- held back by a fear that she didn't seem to be able to get rid of.

But apparently, Alex hasn't been able to resist that call.

And Piper couldn't be more grateful, more ecstatic when she feels those rosy lips capture her own in that kiss that she has been longing for.

Her heart swells, and with the force of that emotion bursting free she comes a second time, and this time, she also drags Alex down with her. Thrusting as steadily as she can and pulling her closer as Alex's finger reach that tiny bit deeper to elicit the hot splash of warmth spills out of her and runs freely between their bodies.

Painting this moment indelible with their blended essence of their shared passion as she drinks and greedily swallows all the delightful sounds of pleasure that she manages to pour from Alex's soft, _sweet_ lips.

 **. . .**

It's not the haze of lust that clouds her senses and makes her do it.

It's not the need to prove something or show the same possessiveness that has claimed her earlier in its fierce grasp.

But it's a need nonetheless.

As voracious as the one that bursts free when Piper, after the initial shock, resumes touching her with even more enthusiasm and those fingers stroke that spot inside of her and she completes the motion by rotating her hips forward in a broken, stuttered movement, grinding her throbbing clit against the heel of Piper's palm.

As that coil of pleasure breaks and flows freely through her system it also turns to rust and breaks whatever was left of that chain keeping her contained.

She surges forward and swallows the sob of mingled relief, and bliss that rises from Piper's chest and leaves her trembling beneath her with something that has _nothing_ to do with the devastating blow of their shared pleasure.

Those long fingers card through her hair, urging her closer while the other one keeps moving along with her hips, providing her as much contact as possible to prolong her peak, and for how frantic and messy and slightly uneven with all the elements colliding together at once, it works _just perfectly._

Piper welcomes her in the sweet inside of her mouth as eagerly as she welcomed her between her legs and inside her.

Her lips are as soft and warm and... and just as irresistible as she remembered.

Only now she can taste the salty note of herself among all of that sweetness.

And instead of wondering how she could have endured all this time without tasting them, she pries them open with the tip of her tongue to sample the sweet warmth that she finds inside, where Piper welcomes her with an enthusiastic little noise that is in between a soft hum and a whine followed by the most delightful shiver that she can feel seeping within her as well when the young woman pulls her even closer to herself, until there is no space left between their bodies.

A little voice in the back of her head is telling Alex that she shouldn't.

But having Piper holding her so close, kissing her back so fervently... feels far too good- _No._ It feels too _right_ to give up. Just like the moist, clinging heat fluttering weakly around her fingers.

And against the naturalness with which their lips move, as their bodies do, in the most perfect sync, soon enough, that voice grows even more feeble, nothing more than a distant whisper, one that slips into the obliviousness of a fading background, getting smothered by the insistent, glorious pounding of her heart.

This time, Alex doesn't pull back.

This time that whisper doesn't grow back into the nonsense of inappropriateness.

This time she lets that feeling in her chest burst with the same indomitable force of her second orgasm and swallow her whole.

Because _this_ doesn't feel like breaking a rule.

With Piper... _it never did._

It's more like accepting a reality.

The same one that she might have been ignoring for too long, even though it's been there since the beginning, echoing softly with every flutter of her heart, spelling an emotion known to be equally terrifying and rich.

She fears the return of that voice, of that part of her that is going to tell her that she shouldn't be doing this, that this... _whatever this is_ isn't a good idea, that she should just stop.

But for now... As the gentler waves of aftershock lull them both to the shore, she indulges in the softness of Piper's lips, in the enthusiasm of each swirl of her tongue around her own, in the soft cooing noises that she elicits from the young woman beneath her, and then, when the demand of air can no longer be ignored, too afraid to meet Piper's gaze just yet, she seeks refuge in the crook of her neck, where she tastes it too. That same dangerous emotion laced with that soft note of bergamot that pulls harder at her heartstrings.

By laying a kiss on Piper's tender pulse point.

But that's not enough for the young woman, who shivers in delight and shifts beneath her, pulling her even closer to herself, with what can only be described as _a gentle possessiveness._

Sighing in contentment only when their heartbeats are aligned and Alex can no longer ignore the melody of that gloriously terrifying emotion thrumming proudly and with elation against her own chest.

* * *

 **You guys probably didn't expect such a mushy ending for this chapter considering the way it started, uh? :P But yeah... They fucked _and_ kissed, and now things are definitely moving in that realizing-feelings direction.** _ **Finally!**_ **As some might say ;) Anyway... you should probably go brush your teeth now :D**


	17. Chapter 17

Hi there!

Happy new year everyone!

Wow... I'm still astounded by all the responses on the previous chapter! You guys are so lovely and amazing! Thank you so much, for all of your kindness really :D I'm delighted that you have enjoyed the chapter so much, but I'll admit it... I was a tad nervous about posting it because I didn't want to disappoint you since it was "the big moment" you have been waiting for. Since the beginning I wanted to start it roughly and end it softly, and I'm truly happy you have liked the way I have decided to "assemble" the scene with all those contrasting emotions :)

Anyway, here is the new chapter, which is a direct continuation of the previous one, so...

I'll just leave you to it :D

Enjoy

* * *

There is nothing, not one thing, that would willingly make Piper tear herself away from this moment.

Locked into this room the rest of the world is nothing but a forgettable dull buzz further silenced by the soundproof walls. Isolating this cozy sphere, this nest of afterglow that despite its fragility not even time itself seems to be able to pierce and reach them inside it.

She honestly doesn't know how long it passes, but she is aware that relying on that blissful sense of pure, profound contentment that is still swelling her chest and coursing through her veins, may not be the best measurement system. Because such feeling has been there, giving no sign of deflating, ever since the moment Alex's lips have claimed hers in the most passionate kiss right at the apex of their shared pleasure, rendering it all the more intense and meaningful.

She hadn't dared to hope for it, but she had suspected, she had imagined that coming with Alex, together, would have actually made her peak infinitely more powerful. Even though she couldn't have expected the tumult of emotions and the indomitable force with which they would have crashed against her once that dam broke as it did. And yet, at the same time, she knew that she shouldn't have expected anything less.

That... _thing_ , has been there for weeks, pushing and pestering her, even when her thoughts just ventured tentatively towards long dark hair, stunning aquamarine eyes that sometimes sparkled like the most precious emeralds, and a subtle sly little smile that so far has never failed in turning her knees to jelly.

 _Of course_ she was going to get dragged adrift by the indomitable force of that flood. And now that she is starting to re-emerge from under it, she is surprised that she is still left breathing.

Awareness is still way out of her reach, but even without it Piper can feel that muted soreness tingling all over her body.

A few specific places ache more than others, but she takes an immense amount of satisfaction in the result and veracity of such passion; in having Alex's signature all over her.

From the imprints of fingers that she knows the raven-haired woman has left on her hips and on the inside of her thighs, to the equally exquisite possessive bite mark carved on that extremely sensitive spot underneath her jaw that is throbbing weakly, and that has most certainly started to bruise already.

Piper revels in those signs, and the thought that they are going to become more visible in a few days fills her with an odd fulfillment and pride. But what brings her an even more profound and immediate pleasure, is the feeling of Alex resting on top of her like this.

She used to _hate it._

She used to hate having the weight of a guy drop on top of her after he had finished and she was left aching with the frustration of her unquenched need throbbing between her legs.

She _hated_ having him blow harsh groans against her neck while he recovered.

And she hated, even more, the feeling of him, inside of her, providing too much pressure that did absolutely _nothing_ to soothe the ache still twisted tightly in her lower belly.

 _But Alex..._

God...

She inhales a sharp shaky breath through her nose, and the whiff of blackberries and orange blossoms that she breathes in along with the thick, syrupy essence of their mingled arousal, both soothe her and make her inner muscles _clench_ in a weak flutter around Alex's fingers, eliciting a soft groan from the raven-haired woman herself. That hot, sweet puff of air leaves Piper shivering as it brushes against that delightfully sensitive spot under her ear like the most delicate whisper of a caress.

Even as she clings onto the preciousness of this moment, however, she still finds herself unable not to think about all of those other experiences that she's had. About how meaningless they were. About how empty she always felt afterwards. And then she dismisses them entirely, because the last thing that she wants, is to spoil and contaminate this moment with some sour old memory that doesn't deserve to be remembered.

And so, she focuses on the present instead, like Alex's weight; so sweetly grounding, and not heavily crushing. Or the gentle pressure of her fingers still resting inside of her; something that Piper doesn't think she will ever be ready to give up, especially since they somehow seem to prolong the sparkling tail of the aftershock still tingling through her system.

It's just... Perfect.

Having Alex rest on top of her like this, inside of her (clearly unwilling to give up that clinging heat herself given the way she cups the rest of her sex in her palm, with something that feels like protectiveness and a hint of possessiveness, too), feeling her breathing softly and steadily against her neck, is what makes this all the more real for Piper.

Not to mention that witnessing this calmer version of Alex, knowing that _she_ is the one responsible for putting an end to the restless trashing of the beast that possessed the raven-haired woman, inflates her with pride.

She has turned those exquisitely low, dangerous growls and snarls into a string of content purrs that rumble so gently in the back of Alex's throat while she strokes her long, impossibly soft dark mane, slipping her fingers through those silky strands and occasionally massaging her scalp with the tips.

Piper can't help but smile in hearing those sounds of approval, thinking of them as the kind that she imagines an affectionate, domesticated, playful tiger would do while being petted. Even though... Alex may remind her more of a rare, majestic black panther.

And to prove that such description may actually be exceptionally adapt to describe the primal side of Alex's true nature that makes her resemble to a wild feline, there is the feeling of her nuzzling oh-so-tenderly that same spot right under her jaw, inhaling the scent there while her lips press (or rather brush) a kiss right where her sharp teeth have dug into earlier, as if to unconsciously re-establish her claim in a less aggressive way.

She knows that possessiveness is not what has sunk its fangs into Alex earlier despite the fact that this whole _thing_ might have been triggered by a spark of jealousy. But even just taking such a remote possibility in consideration is enough to make that rich emotion in her chest expand with the next, long sip of air that she breathes in.

Her heart flutters in reflex, too. The flame in there bursting with the new sip of air drawn in, making that beating muscle stutter out of its rhythm. And it takes it some heavy stumbling to find back its footing once again.

Her body may be recovering and cooling down from that scorching heat of passion, but she knows that the reason her heart it's still thrumming in such way against her ribcage - and might actually have just spiked even harder at the feeling of those lips brushing against that delicate, extremely sensitive spot with such tenderness - has less to do with the exertion seeping into her bones - making her feel heavy and a bit drowsy, too - and everything to do with the emotion that has finally burst free from that cage in her chest and that might be catching a bit in her throat too for how liberating it felt.

She isn't concerned, or has any reason to feel self-conscious about Alex hearing that frantic rhythm. But she is still glad that Alex's head is currently safely tucked against the crook of her neck. This way she can at least swallow down the few tears result of the combination of elation and sadness and pure contentment without worrying about being seen.

Because _that_... that would probably be _too much_ right now.

However, she should have known better than worry about being seen when Alex, with all of her instincts and extremely perceptive nature, _senses_ something in her with such urgency that it makes her pull back from that safe spot where she has found refuge.

Piper barely has the time to blink away the gleam in her eyes before she finds herself in front of those two green gems, and once she does, she has to actually double her efforts in order to fight off the stubborn sting of those tears.

Because without the intoxicating daze of lust to shade those emeralds and filter the light of all the rich emotions swimming in there, Piper can see all of them rippling on that perfectly reflecting and deeply expressive surface.

It startles her. Seeing them all at once like this.

Alex has never looked so open before.

Or even so impossibly... _vulnerable._

And even though Piper had made the assumption, based on the past few minutes, that this utterly blissful afterglow may have rendered Alex placid and calm, suddenly, isn't so sure about that anymore when she is met with the look on her face.

She recognizes it immediately.

The subtle, yet visible signs of hesitation showing on those gorgeous features, leaking into those green eyes as some more awareness returns to her.

Piper's heart clenches, her stomach twists on itself with an icy cold stab of dread in the moment she catches the first glimpse of doubt in Alex's expression; the sight of a question that most got likely stirred because of the way her body has been reacting, including her accelerated heartbeat and the little whines and sobs that she has done a poor job in strangling in the back of her throat.

All signs that have no reason to worry Alex, but Piper instantly recognizes how they might have been misinterpreted by the raven-haired woman, who - as she well knows and should have kept in consideration - tends to take safety and consent _extremely_ seriously. And with everything that has happened in the past twenty minutes, with how things got expressed in all their authenticity tinged by the most marvelous shade of _roughness_... well...

She definitely doesn't blame Alex (or dares to question her attentiveness) for having misinterpreted (for the first time _ever_ ) the signs and the contrasting emotions that her body is giving away right now, showing so plainly on every inch of her.

But she _does_ chastise herself for unintentionally leaking drops of doubt into those emerald pools.

The urge to take such apprehension away instantly becomes her priority, lending her the bravery to do so in the only way she knows she can convey _everything_ that she feels and that she currently can't voice, not even if she had the right words or her usual eloquence to aid her.

She just cups Alex' jaw in her palm, and then she does what she was too much of a coward to do earlier.

She tilts her head up a bit, and _kisses her._

The tentativeness is still there.

The fear of being denied this remains knotted tightly in the pit of her stomach.

But it all melts away when Alex's lips part, not only allowing the kiss, but _responding to it_ with that same infinite softness. And contrary to earlier, this time, as if sensing her need to express something, Alex _lets her_ lead it.

And while Piper wouldn't have fought for dominance, she couldn't be more grateful for the chance to properly convey that silent _"I'm okay", "you did everything I wanted",_ and the most important and reassuring of all, _"you weren't too rough."_ Because she has also caught the glimpse of that sharp stalactite made of icy fear in Alex's eyes a few moments ago when she saw the rest of that thick red fog of lust mingled with that delightfully dangerous hue of anger dissipating for the rest of the way, leaving space to the returning awareness and making her instantly replay and realize all that happened and especially _how_ it happened.

Piper wouldn't have wanted it to happen any other way.

That exquisite roughness has been the most tangent proof of how authentic all of it has been. And the confirmation that Alex has been desiring this as much as she did.

But now, she revels even in this newfound softness, too. In the way she feels Alex melt in the kiss, accepting all the assurances that she pours in it and letting her soothe the tension gathered in the muscles of her back by letting her hands roam down that soft expanse of flawless alabaster skin.

Their bodies are pressed tightly together, with nothing in between but the slick result of their passion. And yet, mapping Alex body like this, feels even more... intimate, somehow.

Eventually though, in front of the matching softness she is met with in that kiss, some questions get also inevitably stirred within her as well.

Things like "what are we doing?", "what does this mean?" and most importantly, the much more frightening "does she _feel it,_ too?"

She can't define _it._

But she knows where it's located. Just like she knows how dangerous it is having that unmovable _thing_ resting so close to her heart, where it could make the most disastrous and irreparable damage. Even if her heartbeat seems to have already adjusted to its presence.

And even if she can feel that same rhythm echoing in Alex's chest, thrumming just against her own, no matter how easy it would be, she does _not_ allow her thoughts to go there and venture towards the dangerous possibility that it might be the same _thing._

She just... _can't._

She is still feeling a bit dazed, lightheaded even after her mind-blowing orgasm and... Well, she doesn't trust that feeling to not interfere with everything else that she is experiencing. But weakened as she is, with all of her defenses down, she is also unable to prevent from falling right under its effect.

However, the feeling of Alex taking advantage of the kiss to withdraw her fingers from inside her, gently, carefully, both helps in clearing her mind a bit further and make her reason more easily, but it also makes the rest of her body groan in disappointment, mourning the loss of that delightful stretch and the equally exquisite, reassuring pressure within her that she is not quite ready to give up.

Just like the kiss.

But when the demand of air becomes impossible to ignore any longer, they are forced to break it, panting hotly against each other's lips. The closeness should be comforting enough, but suddenly, Piper's need to have at least one of those previous questions answered, grows too urgent.

"Alex..." She breathes her name, but doesn't dare opening her eyes yet, not even knowing what she intends to say, precisely, if it is actually a question the one that she has in mind, or rather a warning, a plea, or even... or even the first part of a confession that has to do with that persistent, stubborn feeling hammering away in her chest and which rhythm she can still feel echoing in Alex's own chest too.

Before she can decide how to proceed however, she gets silenced by the softest, most gentle shushing noise breathed right against her lips as the raven-haired woman nuzzles the side of her nose with her own.

And maybe, that's already an answer on its own.

The tenderness of the unexpected gesture is definitely enough to make that harsh, scratchy doubt stop from gnawing at her from the inside.

" _Don't._ " And for the first time, it doesn't sound like an order, but rather a plea.

"Just... Let's not talk right now." Alex tells her. And the gentleness and softness in her contrastingly deep, incredibly raspy voice that also sounds slightly breathless and still strained with exertion, provides Piper with a temporary answer.

It's not satisfying.

Not by a long shot at least. But Piper _hears_ and, most importantly, she _understands_ the need behind that tentative, barely whispered request. Uttered so quietly, as if afraid that speaking more loudly would disrupt this moment and erase the spell that bound them like this.

 _Perhaps it's better this way,_ she thinks.

 _Oddly comforting, too._

Basking in the blissfulness of _ignorance._

Ultimately, of all the things that Piper was afraid to hear, the one that slips so quietly from Alex's lips actually makes her feel incredibly relieved.

It's best if she doesn't say anything.

Because talking brings complications and it would bring them too suddenly to the reality of what just happened and... And Piper isn't ready for _that._

To face those possible consequences. Or to acknowledge in full _the reason_ why her heart is still swollen and that sense of elation hasn't abandoned her for a minute but has only burrowed its way deeper inside her, nestling just next to that beating muscle held captive in her chest.

And so, when Alex brushes her lips against hers, in a tentative yet loud request, Piper eagerly responds.

Because she can live this moment, she realizes, equally thrilled and a bit saddened too though. But that sting of sadness itching from behind her sternum only makes her resolution of enjoying this while she can grow bigger, giving a boost to her confidence that brings her to use the leverage that she has with her leg hooked onto Alex's waist to flip their position and be rewarded by the gasp of surprise that slips past the raven-haired woman lips in the swift movement, accompanied by that delightful wide-eyed look. Those eyes grow back into that dark forest-green when (still fueled by that sudden spark of confidence growing into a crackling fire with the desire starting to stir once more in her lower belly as she straddles Alex's waist) Piper tells her that, "I can do so much more than _just talk_ with my mouth."

She is far beyond feeling shy or shocked by her own straightforwardness and unexpected cheekiness. But after having made Alex come in her mouth and _all over_ her chin like she has done, she thinks that she has earned the right to get a little smug with confidence.

Not to mention that Alex looks immensely pleased (besides impressed) to see this side of her emerging. At least that's how Piper interprets the low groan that she hears hissing past Alex's her lips.

A sound that doesn't fail in sending a warm shiver down her spine, but that is still nothing compared to when Alex half-breathes, half-growls _her name,_ with that same exquisitely warning tone.

Just hearing it is enough to melt from the inside, turning that fire into something liquid, a quiet simmer that starts actually boiling when Alex reaches out with one hand, slipping her long, nimble fingers through her hair, urging her down with barely controlled eagerness masterfully disguised as gentleness.

Piper accepts the invitation with enthusiasm.

Emboldened by those responses, she even surprises herself by flashing a cocky little smirk to the raven-haired woman before start descending down the masterpiece that is her body, in between sweet kisses and teasing, stinging little bites.

Because if she is going to get nothing more than this moment, then Piper intends to _thoroughly_ savor it and cherish _every single inch_ of Alex, just like Alex has done with her countless times.

And so, when in her slow descent she finds herself in front of those two, perfect, creamy, very generous (almost intimidatingly so, considering her own... _limited size_ ) and extremely soft mounds, she lingers there to show her appreciation to the rosy little peaks that instantly greet her by hardening under the brush of the pad of her thumbs.

Her mouth waters like it would in front of a very appetizing pastry, and this time, without any fine piece of garment to stand in the way (or Alex's dominance to hold her back) she doesn't wait. Instinctively dipping her head to lap at one of those hardened little buds, sucking it gently between her lips and cradling it in the warmth of her mouth.

Alex shudders beneath her, a soft groan rumbling softly in her chest, while that talented hand of hers slips onto the back of her head, holding her in place with unnecessary encouragement while she sucks at that rosy nipple, feeling it hardening further in her mouth, where another taste soon envelops her taste buds; something delicate and sweet that distantly reminds Piper of sugared almonds.

Just like the richer, heavenly flavor that she has sampled between Alex's legs, even this one has her instantly addicted.

She is about to switch to the other one, curious to know if she is going to be greeted by that same sweetness, intent in eliciting at least another one of those delightful groans of pleasure and perhaps even make Alex's back arch with want from the couch, when suddenly, a knock resonates in the room.

Piper almost jumps out of her skin upon getting torn so abruptly from her thorough exploration of dips and valleys and mounds that she has dreamt about mapping with her hands and mouth.

 _No,_ she thinks to herself, hoping, begging. _No, no, no, no._

She is _not_ ready to get back into the rest of the spinning world. _Not yet._

And she doesn't want anything or anyone to intrude and _burst_ this fragile bubble of bliss, this wonderfully delicate moment of closeness _and-_

The knock resonates again, with more insistence, and this time, to accompany it (besides Alex's threateningly growl of frustration) there is also a very familiar voice.

 _"Open up Alex,_ I know _you're in there."_

Even if the words come through slightly muffled by the thick, heavy, electronically locked door, Piper instantly recognizes the slight drawl of Alex's business partner. But it's actually the urgent tilt in her voice what gets her attention and what also makes Alex tense up immediately, straightening up on alert, and pulling away from her, even though with immense reluctance and gentleness- offering her a deeply apologetic look as she does so.

It's... _Lovely._ But it doesn't prevent Piper from deflating with that stab of disappointment.

It seems like she won't have her chance of improving her... _oral performance_ with a second round. But to soothe the sting of frustration that follows when pulls away from her, severing their glorious skin-to-skin contact, there is the exquisite sight of the raven-haired woman standing from the couch, tall and proud - even though definitely, unmistakably irritated by the intrusion. Looking extremely comfortable in her nakedness - and probably currently unaware of how strongly her beauty is affecting Piper, whose heart trips all over the next couple of beats as she, totally mesmerizes, watches her stride confidently towards the door.

"This better be _good,_ Nicky." She hears Alex practically growl to her business partner as soon as she peeks her head out from the thin slit left by the opened the door, leaning against the frame to shield the rest of the room from the outside. And even if Piper has managed to cover herself up a bit with one of the sheets used to keep away the dust from the furniture piled there, her hearts still flutters at the consideration in that simple gesture meant to keep her from prying eyes.

Piper is well aware that nights like this one must require all the staff's attention and all hands on deck. Starting from the very same club owner. But she can't help but still feel a bit irritated by the intrusion considering how _close_ she was to get her chance to pay Alex the thorough kind of attention that she has been meaning to _for weeks._. And she really hopes that her petite counterpart has disturbed them because of a damn fire, because there are very few other excuses that would make this... this _rude_ interruption justifiable.

Even though... She already knows that it is definitely a good reason the one that got Alex's business partner to go find her, probably looking for her all over the club before she checked this room. Or... _maybe not._

Considering what she said when she knocked, maybe she knew where to find her- _them_ all along...

 _"We have a problem."_

That's how she hears Nicky shortly greet her partner. Pretty much straightforward, even if cryptic all at once in her lack of details, but even though Piper's current position doesn't allow her to see the interaction, the seriousness in Nicky's voice (which she has always heard tinged with a note of humor or light sarcasm) is... very _loud._

And worrying.

"What is it?" Alex asks, and Piper can picture the way those perfectly sculpted eyebrows must be furrowing with a mix of concern and confusion under her... rather _adorable_ scowl of irritation.

The realization that something is definitely wrong instantly makes the raven-haired woman straighten up a bit and instinctively slip into her business/responsible club-owner persona and... no doubt showing to her partner a glimpse of her currently undressed state as she inadvertently opens the door slightly wider.

And for how shocking and unbelievable Piper thinks it is to not be affected by all of that raw beauty in _any_ way, Nicky seems to be anything but impressed or even surprised by her business partner's nakedness. Simply telling her to just _"Get dressed, and meet me outside."_

Piper would have expected to hear some joke perhaps. Maybe hear the petite woman take the chance of the circumstances to throw in a teasing quip even, but there is nothing of the sort.

And that's enough for her to realize, with a sense of dread settling at the pit of her stomach, that whatever this is, it's definitely serious.

Just like she realizes - with that other invading sense of disappointment growing big enough to swallow the rest of her crumbled hopes about the possibility of continuing to indulge into her exploration of Alex's body and all the reactions that she was looking forward to elicit from the raven-haired woman - that their precious moment got spoiled for good, when she hears Alex answer to her best friend with a firm "I'll be right there."

 **. . .**

Alex closes the door releasing a long sigh through her nose before bending to gather the clothes - _her clothes_ \- piled up in a shapeless heap of fabric there on the floor beside the dresser, running a hand through her hair as she stands up before tentatively turning around to face Piper, who promptly stands up from the couch.

Completely naked.

The only exception being the leather collar tied to her neck.

And looking _so_ beautiful.

Alex feels a pang in her chest at the sight of her like this. A feeling that starts as pleasant but that takes no time in twisting uncomfortably when it drifts lower, settling heavily in her stomach in front of the slight concern shaping Piper's lovely features.

"Is everything okay?" The young businesswoman asks her, and yeah, she sounds definitely a bit worried but also gently inquisitive all at once, and for a moment, that unpleasant feeling in Alex's stomach gets soothed and her lips can't help but _twitch_ into a hinted smile in front of that endearing layer of perpetual, endearing curiosity.

"Yeah," She answers at last, going for reassuring while proceeding in getting dressed up again. "Just... problems with a customer," _Probably._ She concludes between herself, having recognized _that look_ on her business partner's face and the tone in her voice - but knowing that she has just made a poor job in making her answer sound convincing, and having the confirmation of such thing when - in the moment she looks up after having hastily slipped back into her pants and having buttoned up her shirt - she notices how the curiosity in Piper's look has diminished considerably, making space for more of that worry and... the disappointment clouding those enchanting blue eyes into a misty gray.

That pang in her chest returns tenfolds.

Only this time it digs deeper, like a blade between her ribs.

Sharp and cold and unforgiving.

She instantly recognizes the self-consciousness that makes Piper squirm on the spot, awkwardly lifting one arm and clutching her other shoulder, looking _anything_ but nonchalant in her attempt to cover herself from being left... so _exposed._ In more than just one way.

"I'm sorry," Alex apologizes, taking a tentative step closer, and somehow, for how lame, her cringe-worthy response earns her a little smile as Piper shakes her head and... takes a step forward as well. And Alex is left wondering if even she, too, is seeking for the warmth of their earlier closeness that has left her skin tingling all over.

"Don't be." The young businesswoman reassures her. "It's your job." And there is that silent, knowing _"I understand"_ reflected with a drop of sadness into those eyes. But even in front of such understanding, right now, duty or not, the last thing Alex wants to do, is leave like this. Severing this moment so cruelly.

...she is _so_ going to send out of the club whoever asshole is responsible for interrupting what was about to happen between these walls by _personally_ kicking them in the ass. With a lifelong banishment to ever step foot into her club again.

She sighs, inwardly. Because to deliver such message, she still has _to leave._

"I have to go." And it actually _pains_ her saying it. And she feels useless for not being able to offer anything more than the apologetic little smile that twitches at the corner of her mouth, and that only partially succeeds in masking the grimace hiding underneath.

Despite its unsteadiness however, it still seems to slightly soothe Piper, who gives her that same reassuring, deeply understanding smile in return, but... it's not enough.

And not only for what Alex wants to convey about her need to go, but also...

When she sees Piper duck her head to avoid her gaze and prevent her from seeing the moisture starting to shimmer into those newly limpid, rippling blue lakes, Alex instinctively steps forward, erasing the rest of the space keeping them apart and surrendering to that indomitable pull. Reaching out and cupping Piper's jaw in her palm, gently tilting her head up to meet her gaze, and...

 _Fuck it._

She knows that she _shouldn't._

But it's too late to give a damn about rules that have already been broken in the most gratifying and _memorable_ way.

The proof is in her wrinkled clothes, in that fulfilling soreness on her lower back, in her slightly pruney fingertips and... in the throb that echoes once more between her legs at the image that flashes in her mind of Piper, on her knees, _pleasuring her_ with devotion. And when those deep blue eyes lock with hers, so wide, so full of hope and shimmering with so many conflicting emotions that hit Alex hard and squarely in the chest all at once...

Before she can let that sense of inappropriateness get to her, she surrenders for the rest of the way.

Surging forward, and pressing her lips against Piper's.

It's immediately clear that - hopefulness aside - the young woman didn't _expect it._

But before Alex can pull back thinking that maybe the gesture isn't as welcomed as she hoped it would be given the way she feels Piper instantly tense up, not only she gets reassured of the contrary when, just a moment later, she feels Piper melt, but she actually has the delightful confirmation that the young blonde woman actually has been desiring this as much as she did when those thin, yet incredibly soft lips part to eagerly welcome her in the sweet inside of her mouth, where Alex can still taste traces of herself.

Piper's slender arms lift from her sides and wrap loosely around her shoulders when Alex brings her closer, pulling her flush against her front by pressing her free hand onto the small of her naked back. And even with her clothes in between, their bodies mold against the other's in that perfect match from earlier, reveling in the way Piper shivers against her and whimpers softly with approval in her mouth.

Alex swallows those quiet noises with greediness.

Piper's essence quickly envelopes her, and as she allows it to overwhelm her senses, the rest of the world starts fading once more, until everything that matters is reduced to the sweet blend of mingled flavors that she can taste in the warmth of Piper's mouth, in the confidence of the lips and tongue moving alongside hers, and that, combined with the considerate firmness of the hands cradling her face, spells an equally terrifying and rich emotion.

It reaches out and tugs at her heartstrings with a sense of belonging that she is powerless to resist.

Because she doesn't feel _the need_ to.

But she does deepen the kiss to experience it more fervently.

And as Piper answers back with the same ardor and that combination of gentleness used to disguise the equally endearing and arousing passion emerging from underneath that deceiving first layer by gently yet confidently pulling her impossibly closer to her naked frame and arching her body until no space is left between them... inappropriateness is the last thing that Alex feels.

There is nothing inappropriate in the soft firmness of that cautiously passionate kiss that, for once, she doesn't feel the need to lead or control.

Because, even though that thing- that _feeling_ , swelling in her chest with the kind of elation that is making her heart stumble out of its usual rhythm - scares her, at the same time, for the first time _ever, nothing_ has ever felt more glorious, so earnest and genuine and... _right._

Just... _Perfect._

* * *

 **So, uhm... That came out a bit** _ **more**_ **romantic than how I originally intended. And I know that it is considerably shorter respect the others and that it didn't have a lot of dialogue, but... I truly wanted to try and focus more on the** _ **"feelings department"**_ **during their afterglow :)**


	18. Chapter 18

Hello there!

I know, I'm back so soon! Just a week, uh? Well don't get too used to that guys, this chapter was kinda mostly ready. It was in fact originally supposed to be attached as a continuation of the previous one, but the tone was far too different, so I've decided to split them up and take the chance to adjust a few things here and there.

Anyway, here it is now and... I'm not going to say anything about it except that it's a long one, and that you should probably grab a snack before starting. Make it two apples and some nuts :P And... some water too maybe ;)

Enjoy

* * *

 _Piper has never experienced a kiss that could reach so deeply inside of her to make her discover a whole new place within the chambers of her heart, soothing the sting of doubt and self-consciousness until it's melted into the comfort of acceptance. Of how things are_ supposed to be.

 _Alex's soft, sweet lips seem to hold all the answers that she has been asking herself for far too long._

 _Right now though, as she braces herself onto her strong frame, she only needs one._

 _And... she believes that she has found it._

 **. . .**

 _"Miss Chapman?"_

It's not the first time that Piper has found herself slipping back into those memories during the past week.

The night is still so vivid, still _sizzling_ after having been branded in her mind by the scorching heat of desire, that, as she brushes her bottom lip with her fingertips, she can still feel it. That light, warm and _tingly_ sensation prickling right there. Reminding her of that last kiss that has rendered the whole parting so much more bearable and, at the same time, paradoxically, all the more torturous.

 _"Miss Chapman?"_

She sighs when that fragile little bubble into which she has found refuge gets once again popped by yet another intrusion from the rest of the spinning world.

This time though, it doesn't come with an insistent knocking on her door.

But the way reality drops on her, like a stone in a placid lake, disrupts the memories she has been recalling. Each ripple distorts them, until she is forced to tear herself away from that blurred, creased reflection.

Annoyed for having been interrupted while she indulged into those still very fresh, delightfully vibrant memories but needing to, she blinks back into focus, finding herself once again in her vast, empty, sterile-white office, and with her assistant's voice ringing from the intercom.

"Yes, Amelia?" She answers at last reaching for the button on her desk phone, suppressing another sigh and swallowing down the rude _"what is it?"_ of irritation that rises when, with extreme reluctance, she slips out for the rest of the way from that safe, cozy, now slowly deflating bubble.

 _"The lobby just informed me that your ten o'clock appointment has arrived, ma'am."_

Piper may be far from content for having been forced back into reality with all its sharp edges and overfilled schedule and never-ending duties, but the reason why her assistant has disturbed her by doing nothing other than her job, actually _thrills_ her almost into a feeling of giddiness that has her struggle to answer to that information without giving away her bubbling excitement into her professional and polite response.

"Thank you, Amelia. You can send her up."

With that, Piper releases the intercom button and stands up on her suddenly shaky legs, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles on her skirt out of a nervous habit, and adjusting her blouse before checking her reflection in the large windows of her office.

The event at the club from a week ago has been a success, as it has been the entire night, filled with surprises that have resulted in an even more wonderful outcome that she would have ever dared to hope for in her most forbidden fantasies.

She still can't express how much the time that she has spent in Alex's company, and then _alone, with her_ , more... _privately_ \- before a drunk madman forcing its way into the club has taken the raven-haired woman out from her embrace and the promise of ecstasy she fully intended to deliver - has affected her to such a profound level that some parts of her _shattered_ in the process. Reshaping into another form and sliding into those previously empty slots that makes her feel more... complete now.

As if she might have... _matured,_ during that eventful night that has - among other things - expanded her view and rendered her less afraid about a few _things._

She has archived every single detail of what she has seen in the club, but infinitely more preciously what happened in _that room_.

She reminds them all with immense clarity without the mist of lust to cloud her senses. From the smallest ones, to the phantom of that sweet-salty, _heady_ flavor that she swears she can still _taste_ on her palate.

The smile that tugs at her lips just thinking about them has only grown bigger in the past few days. The echo of a throb in her lower regions upon revisiting that event and the matching stirring in her stomach hasn't diminished one bit. Just like the flutters of her heart... Which might have actually gotten a bit stronger.

Now, however...

Now she is no longer in that room, where the lingering haze of desire and the cocktail of hormones winding through her veins and sparking to life every nerve ending is what has probably made her body react in ways that may not have been very appropriate - got her mind to wander towards forbidden thoughts, and her heart to gallop away towards the vastly dangerous territory of feelings.

The _beware_ sign preceding it? All but ignored, of course. Carelessly _ran over_ , actually.

And forcing herself to get another perspective hasn't been easy.

But she knows that she needs it. If anything to avoid the risk of what she suspects would result in a pretty nasty burn.

There is no regret though.

Not even the shadow of it.

Although, the excuse of _"gone too far because of self-indulgence"_ doesn't seem to stick. No matter how hard she tries to pin all that happened on _that._ On _the evening_ And, most of all, on Alex's... delightfully _possessive_ reactions.

Because indulgence or not, Alex was a willing participant, the one who has started all of that. The one who has kissed her _first_ And... who also kissed her _last._

For how hard it is for Piper not linger too long on that memory though, on the possible reasons that might have lead Alex to do it, she tries her hardest not to.

 _Passion,_ after all - especially the scorching kind that she has experienced and felt sizzling on her skin that night, and that she has also felt _flare_ with the same enveloping, all-consuming ardor in Alex, has a way - due to its very nature - to burn away any resemblance of rationality.

Maybe even the one of someone who has mastered control and has as much of a strong grip on it as Alex has. _She reasons._ Struggling to tighten her slippery grip on logic. Hoping that it will be enough to protect herself from that glimmer of hope that has sparked inside her.

Such a tiny flame that flickers so gently, so tentatively, but that she knows, just like any flame, it has the potential of lighting her up on fire with the right kind of fuel, which, in this case, might be the emotions leaking right on top of it from her swollen heart.

She can't do anything to help that feeling. But she _can_ force herself into the rationality brought by the daylight, because time - the week of distance passed from such event - certainly hasn't affected her in the slightest.

Satisfied by her appearance, she turns around from the large windows adjusting a lock of hair behind her ear, searching in her work bag for the two copies of the preliminary project that she has reviewed, setting one in front of the chair facing her desk, and the other beside her laptop.

The whole idea still needs Polly's official approval, but there is no harm in illustrating it to her new possible... _client._

 _Yes,_ she tells herself, convincingly, taking in a long deep breath that gives her the illusion of getting a better, firmer hold on her nerves.

She can do this.

She is at work now.

In her building.

Her company.

 _Her domain._

For how much a part of her - a _huge_ part of her - wants to think that what happened with Alex has been as authentic as the responses that she has received and elicited from the raven-haired woman, she knows that it's not something that can be faced straightforward.

Or rather it is, but... she'd rather not dwell on the thought of possibly hearing her say that what happened was... _a mistake._ Nonetheless, she prepares for the possibility, and tells herself that she can still act like a professional.

And that's why she has invited Alex, _here,_ today. To discuss _business._

A language that they both speak very fluently.

 _Just_ business. Piper repeats in her head. Despite its direct link _to pleasure._

 _However..._

She has just finished to put in order a few things laying around on her desk and got one final check of her reflection on the large office windows, when the frosted glass doors of her office get gently pushed open, and in the moment she glances up...

That poor little muscle that resides in her chest stutters to a stop in front of the origin of its recently new-found rhythm.

Alex steps into her office looking as _gorgeous_ as ever.

Which is _unfair._

Because Piper felt _so_ confident in her resolution, so _convinced_ on how to approach this first encounter after all that happened between them a week ago, but... she should have known that, at the sight of the woman that has been haunting her thoughts and dreams and _fantasies_ for the past several days, looking so impossibly, _criminally_ stunning, would have not only made her falter, but _stripped_ her instantly of that illusion of control she thought she had found, making it crumble off her frame and leaving her as naked and flustered as the last time they have been in a room together.

Even with the storm of emotions stirred inside her from those delightful, dangerous memories however, she doesn't miss _it._

The way Alex _walks in._

With that... _uncharacteristically_ , paradoxically _hesitant_ confidence in her posture, in her feline-light steps. As if having caught the first signs of her crumbling demeanor and having decided to walk in with more carefulness to try not to spook her in her own territory.

It should enrage her with irritation, Piper believes. And yet, when that pair of enchanting, precious green gems lock with hers, she feels that tiny, innocent flame resting in that cozy space between her stomach and chest, burst like a supernova. Roaring brightly and stealing the oxygen from her lungs to feed itself when Alex greets her with a soft, tentative _"Hey..."_ graced by the most beautiful smile that sends the remains of whatever illusion Piper had about her own so-called control out of the window, almost hearing the sound that it makes as it free falls down eleven floors before splattering on the sidewalk under her building.

There is no point in pretending that Alex's presence doesn't affect her _that_ strongly.

Her heart swells with elation in front of that smile; showing that foreign, yet endearing hint of shyness that Alex tries to mask with that same gesture of tilting her head down and pretending to adjust her glasses on the bridge of her nose just to try to escape the smile that Piper (beyond delighted of seeing her despite all the contrasting emotions and resulting jitters battling within her) feels tugging at her own lips. And it's not easy to prevent such smile from growing into the full, flustered, _dimpled grin_ that is threatening to take over.

"Alex, _hey_..." She greets her back. Her voice comes out sounding slightly breathier than usual, because that greedy flame flaring between her chest and stomach is using all the air that she is drawing in for itself, and even though she somehow manages to hold back that huge smile from spreading, as usual, there is very little she can do to mask the tinge of pink that comes to scald her cheeks, perfectly aware that here, in the modern, sterile-white surroundings of her office, and with the sunlight filtering through the large windows - illuminating the space around and bringing up a hidden shade of dark auburn in Alex's hair (she notices with delight) - such blush is simply _impossible_ to conceal.

"Thank you for coming," She says at last, wisely deciding to slip back into the illusory safeness granted by her business-persona.

"So, uh... I've been meaning to talk to you about this for some time." She confesses before gesturing to the seat across her desk and swallowing down the awkwardness that results from offering it to Alex with such formality.

"Please, take a seat."

Alex, however - who looks to be quite entertained by this side of her and the clear effort she is trying to put in looking nonchalant and professional - just shakes her head, licking her lips to wipe away the amused little smile that was already there, ready to make an appearance on those... impossibly soft, luscious and... sweet lips.

"Thanks, but... I'll stand if that's not a problem." The answer is accompanied with a little squirming as Alex shifts on the spot, and... even if Piper notices it, hearing that refusal to her invitation is what gets most of her attention and fills her with an immediate uneasiness.

She instantly frowns, unable not to wonder if she might have misinterpreted Alex's smile as simple politeness. Or... if she has just imagined seeing that _twinkle_ in her eyes.

 _Could it be?_

She meets the raven-haired woman's gaze again and... _No._

Her heart flutters, tightening on itself and stumbling over the next beat as that same, rich emotion nestled inside it swells even further when she sees that that little sparkle is _definitely_ there. Shimmering so beautifully into those bottomless pools of green.

She _hadn't_ imagined it.

And yet... Alex stands there. Hands buried deep in the pockets of her coat, subtly, _discretely_ shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

This time Piper notices such detail better and it's definitely something that leaves her a more than just a bit puzzled.

It's something that, combined with the fact that Alex hasn't accepted her invitation and is still wearing her coat, gives her the impression that the raven-haired woman might be... in a bit of a rush perhaps. Or maybe even looking somehow... _uncomfortable._

And it's then, when that possibility echoes in her head that Piper's heart, from swollen and filled with elation, drops heavily in her stomach, twisting into a tight knot that threatens to suffocate the flame of hope flickering there.

Her mind goes straight to that night a week ago and... thinking that Alex might be uncomfortable in her presence because of what happened then, because of how _far_ she has allowed things to go, it's enough to knock the air from her lungs and knot her insides on themselves with disappointment and - for how much she tries not to think of it or feel it such way - _hurt._

"You..." She swallows, tipping her head and shaking it in an attempt to disperse those thoughts and recompose herself, struggling to get rid of the feeling that is crawling its way up from her stomach and that gets promptly stuck in her throat instead, threatening to interfere with her voice and the professionalism that she has to force into her response.

"If you don't have enough time to stay I can arrange another appointment during an hour that would be more suitable for you, Alex."

She even forces a reassuring smile on her face when she glances up from the papers that she has been awkwardly fumbling with and lining up on her desk to try and get a hold of herself. But in the moment she does so, in the instant her eyes lock with Alex's, the sense of dread that was already starting to expand within her at the prospect of being met with a confirmation, instantly deflates, turning into something else _entirely_ in front of the puzzling, _entertained_ little smile tugging ever so slightly at the corner of Alex's mouth.

"No, it's okay." The raven-haired woman - much to her sudden, growing confusion - answers. "Right now it's perfectly fine for me." She assures, and whatever trace of discomfort that Piper has noticed in her but a moment ago, is nowhere to be seen on her features. Just like it seems to have completely melted away from her posture, too. Which is reassuring but... it also leaves her wondering if her mind might be playing tricks on her.

"It's just that..." Alex resumes, only to let her voice trail off into a long pause as she takes those last few steps in, approaching her desk and starting to unbutton her coat.

And now, Piper is far _beyond_ being simply confused, even though... the raven-haired woman's nearing closeness brings an equal amount of uncertainty and... a warm _comfort_ that she can't help but feel, despite how strongly it contrast with all the rest that she is currently experiencing.

And it's also then that she notices _it_ again. Even when she is caught in that tearing grasp of contrasting emotions.

She can't quite point it out, but there is _something_ definitely... _odd_ , in Alex's walk.

But before she can even get a chance to try and see through her confusion and figure out what it might be, Alex provides her all the answers to every single doubt and question that was starting to overfill her mind, by simply... taking off her coat.

And just like that, with that simple gesture, Piper's confusion gets erased.

Totally eclipsed.

 _Scorched_ by an immediate _blinding clarity._

The harsh twisting of uneasiness and dread about possible regrets and inappropriateness about what happened between them (which is the thought that was silently tormenting her the most, and also the one that she was trying to smother with more effort) gets instantly replaced by a whole _other,_ much more _physical_ feeling.

The tremendously familiar one that starts _pulsing_ much _lower_ when - as her eyes instinctively rake down the newly exposed front of that sublime, strong, yet very feminine frame, taking in how delightfully her shirt and vest hug the curves of her upper body and her dark pantsuit show off her toned yet slender, long legs - Piper finally _sees it._

Her breath catches in her throat and a hot shiver races down her spine, pooling heavily at the apex of her thighs.

Her head swims in a haze of arousal, spinning with the immediate understanding and _striking realization_ in the moment her gaze fixes on the front of Alex's pantsuit and, more specifically, on the... outline of the _bulge_ straining there against the fabric.

Her eyes widen, her lips part, and her core clenches so tightly on itself, with such a sudden, vicious stab of arousal that she almost sways.

Ambushed by that element of surprise, blinded by the implications that such... addition brings - not to mention weakened by the relief and, at the same time, empowered by that flare of arousal that set her on fire - Piper barely gets her chance to brace herself in time against the edge of her desk with one shaky hand when her knees wobble dangerously under her own weight, caught in the grasp of a vertigo.

Regain her balance or even a remote resemblance of steadiness has never required so much effort. And a weird combination made of both reluctance and eagerness collide when she forces herself to tear her gaze away from that... _impressive_ bulge but guided by the more urgent need to meet Alex's piercing green eyes, now glinting with that sparkle of humor matched by the lopsided little smile visibly twitching at the corner of her mouth.

Whatever was left of Piper's worries about a possible awkwardness in their interaction, got _charred_ at once by that blazing flame of arousal. But it's the sight of that smile what scatters the ashes left and makes her heart beat double time with a paradox of relief and lingering trepidation.

"...I usually work _much better_ when I'm standing," Alex concludes, cockily, _teasingly_ , but Piper is still far too lost, struggling to get a hold on her breathing to crack a smile upon hearing that quip.

"You, however..." The raven-haired woman continues, seeming to take a fair amount of pleasure in seeing her so dumbstruck (and _of course_ she does), stepping closer to her desk, rounding it until she comes to a stop right in front of her and overwhelming her senses with the whiff of perfume that her closeness brings. A harmony of sweetness and that juicy tartness of ripe blackberries that, accompanied by the intensity darkening Alex's eyes into that deeper shade of green that reminds her of a dense forest hiding dangers, shakes Piper to her very core.

"I know that you are more _productive_ when you spend the day right here. _Bent over_ your desk."

It's less the way Alex stresses that last part and more the way she actually _speaks_ \- voice so low and dangerously deep - and the way those eyes darken even further, what makes that _thrill,_ that tiny _shiver_ born from hope and anticipation turn into a tidal wave that leaves Piper _shuddering_ from the inside out, eliciting a fresh gush of heat from within her that pools at the apex of her thighs.

She must give it away, somehow. Because the corner of Alex's mouth twitches that tiny bit higher, offering a glimpse of that knowing yet subtle little smirk that the raven-haired woman tries to swiftly lick away with the tip of her tongue when those piercing green eyes dart down to her desk, landing on the folders that Piper had ordinately prepared and labeled simply with a scribbled _"Lube and Soothing Lotion project"._

Even in her current state however, she notices the way Alex's eyebrows rise in surprise, but such expression it's barely there for a moment before those green gems meet her gaze once again.

"Well... apparently when you said that you wanted to see me to talk _business_ today you meant it as in _your business_."

 _Oh yes,_ it's quite clear now to Piper that she should have been a bit more... _specific_ about the reason, _the nature_ of this appointment. _Especially_ considering that she has very recently revealed a specific fantasy to the raven-haired woman involving her presence, here, in _her office_ and... including _her desk_. Not that she is protesting to the turn that this appointment is taking. As if she _ever_ could...

Usually, though, she is _always_ thorough and clear about _anything_ that has to do with her work.

This time, however, embarrassment and awkwardness about not having been specific and having fallen into the current situation, are _nowhere_ in sight.

In fact she can honestly say that she's never been gladder for such a... _miscommunication._

Alex, however, recognizes that it was an error from _her part_ with a nonchalantly shrugged "My mistake." But there is no apology in her voice or even in her eyes shimmering with blatant mischief. And the smirk gracing her lips only serves to show _exactly_ how unapologetic she is about all of this.

"I have to say that the subject as it is, definitely intrigues me," She also admits, this time sounding and looking sincerely honest though as she glances down at the folder into which Piper has just poured an idea that Alex had... _indirectly_ given her during one of their first sessions.

"And I would love to help you with it, _if_ that's the reason why you _actually_ asked me here. However..." Her voice trails off as she reaches out with one hand, slowly sliding the papers aside and towards a more... remote corner of the desk where they will be safe from getting... _crumpled_. A gesture that in its simplicity is enough to make Piper realize with a shocking thrill of excitement that _this_ is definitely _happening._

"I'm afraid that my attention is currently _elsewhere_ ," Alex informs her, feigning a long, distracted sigh. "Perhaps you can think of a way to help me regain focus." And, as if such suggestion wasn't already clear in its blinding obviousness, to accompany it, Alex reaches down with one hand to... _adjust_ the bulge straining against the front of her pants, and now, upon seeing that gesture (and the little squirming that Alex does on the spot) not only it reminds Piper of earlier, of when she thought that she had noticed _something off_ with the way Alex was walking, but the reason for it erases any lingering doubts that were left.

She swallows, tickly, her grip tightening on the edge of her desk, seeking for a sense of stability that is taken away from her once again when, with that smirk widening with that blunt edge of mischief, Alex reminds her that "After all, as you well know, if you want to do business with me, pleasure _always_ has to _come first_."

 _Jesus..._

"Alex..." Even with the breath knocked out of her lungs, in front of such a delightful surprise Piper still finds herself able of breathing Alex's name in the softest whisper, even though, once again, she honestly doesn't know whether she means it as a warning, a plea or a combination of both. All she knows is that that sense of lightheadedness grows exponentially, almost making her office spin around her when Alex, with that same smile sparkling in her eyes, asks her "What do you say, Pipes? Would you _bend over_ for me?"

And then Piper truly doesn't know what it is that makes her heart flip in her chest the way it does and her core clench with such irrepressible want, if it is hearing the way that nickname falls from Alex's rosy lips with such ease and naturalness, as if she is used to calling her that every time, or the expression on her face as she does so. Maybe it's the look in her eyes though. So dark and lustful and... a bit hopeful, too. Sprinkled with specks of tentativeness disguised by the confident cocky smile on her face that falters for the briefest moment at the silence that follows her... invitation.

Piper doesn't mean to keep her waiting, knowing how impatience can get Alex to... _react_. And the delicate circumstances definitely don't help in the slightest, but...

The realization is _startling._

Because Alex really _wants her._ A knowledge that alone is enough to make her swoon, and that combined with the rest of the reactions elicited in her body and overwhelming her system, pushes Piper towards the one and only answer that she knew she was going to give since she realized in which direction things were going.

" _Yes,_ Mistress." She breathes, surrendering once again to that vicious pull of desire, barely managing to swallow down a shaky whimper as she turns around on her wobbly legs to face her desk and obey to Alex's directions, bracing herself against it with both hands.

Soon the feeling of Alex pressing herself against her back follows, as she oh-so-delicately moves aside the hair from the back of her neck with a flick of her extremely dexterous fingers, purring a praising "Such a _good_ girl".

Piper struggles. Trying her hardest not to read too much into the gesture when Alex leans further towards that very same spot where a week ago her teeth have sunk into the flesh of her neck with the most exquisite possessive bite, and that now her lips just delicately brush with the softest kiss.

But for how much she tries, she just can't ignore the infinite tenderness and the warmth of sentiment that such gesture carries.

 **. . .**

There is no resisting that haze lifting and enveloping her in its dense embrace. But she can't help but think that she _must_ have mentioned to Alex wanting to discuss business with her and that _this_ , today's appointment, was _not_ an appointment that has made been based on the latest fantasy she had confessed to the raven-haired woman during the very same night of the event at the club in the private confines of her office.

Maybe, after all, she _didn't_ mention what she thought she did about illustrating her project. And even if she did, it truly doesn't matter right now.

The last thing she expected from this encounter, was end up like she is in this moment.

She has work to do, reports to check, deals to review, clients to contact, appointments to make with a few investors. Not to mention meet with her business partner to go over the last few details for the meeting of this afternoon, but...

Oh, _fuck it all._

Because the prospect of fulfilling her fantasy, right here, _right now_ , with the element of surprise rendering it all the more bright and so exquisitely thrilling... Well... It's practically impossible to resist. Maybe she wouldn't have indulged in this a couple of months ago, but among Alex's long list of talents, the one about proving her wrong sparkles in between those deserving the highest praises. And it's not like Piper - who has _always_ taken her chances - would _ever_ turn down such an opportunity.

She has been rendered her weak to the pleasure of the flesh. The kind that only Alex has been able to make her experience so profoundly. To a real, life-changing level.

Of course, even in her lust-induced euphoria about this riveting development, she still should have expected that she wouldn't have obtained what she wanted without at least a little bit of taunting first.

Alex, in fact, _waits_ until she is properly laying face down on her own desk - legs spread apart, skirt neatly (or as much as possible) rolled up around her hips. Underwear (the third pair - Piper has kept track - that is probably not going to survive this encounter and Alex's rough passion) tugged to the side and leaving her shivering to the cool breeze of the office brushing so intimately between her legs, adding to the rest of the reasons that are sending sparks of electricity down her back, raising goosebumps on every inch of her skin and making her clench greedily around the part of the feeldoe (barely the tip, and _not a millimeter more_ than that blunt head) nestled inside of her, driving her even crazier with desire - to tell her...

"Before we start, you might want to warn your secretary that you are going to be busy for a while. You don't want to be overheard or get interrupted now, _do you?_ "

The calm and serenity and _extreme_ patience dripping from Alex's voice and coating those words, only confirms Piper's suspicious.

She knows. She just _knows_ that Alex has done things in this order _on purpose._

Just like she knows that if she would turn around to shoot her a glare she would only be met with that irritating, totally unapologetic, infuriating, criminally _gorgeous_ smirk.

It tempts her _immensely_ the idea of just _taking_ what she needs.

It would be _so_ easy.

All she would have to do would be simply... _push_ her hips back to get instantly rewarded by the glorious feeling of the rest of the shaft sinking deep inside of her to the hilt and bring that delightful pressure that she is craving so viciously and that will _finally_ soothe the ache in her empty core.

She is more than wet enough to know that it won't even sting too much.

But Alex's hold- so strong, _unyielding_ on her hips - would _never_ allow her to move and just take what she needs so easily.

Also... no matter how hard she tries to deny it, there is so much more appeal to this improvised scenario that Piper couldn't seriously think about ruining it because of the impatience gnawing at her from the inside. No matter how desperate she is for that fullness to just fill her, and for that resulting, extremely rewarding _sting_ to stretch her.

Knowing that there is only one way she is going to obtain what she so desperately craves, she follows Alex's insufferable, teasing advice and, with a shaky hand, she reaches for the button of the intercom on her desk phone. Hastly slipping back into whatever is left of her control before it can crumble completely, and doing her very best to keep her voice from shaking with the desire boiling in her veins and threatening to burn through her skin when she calls her assistant.

 _"Yes, Miss Chapman?"_

"Amelia, I'm going to need you to, _u-uh..._ "

Making up an excuse considering that her mind is of absolutely _no use_ right now, raided from any rational thought that hasn't to do with the need pulsing between her legs- turns out to be even harder, and she can still picture that gorgeous sly smile that most definitely stretches on Alex's lips when she tells her assistant to go in the archive downstairs and search for a report from last year, and her assistant (who is way too efficient and far too competent in her job) promptly reminds her that:

 _"All the records and documents from the past years have been uploaded into your computer, ma'am."_

The note of confusion in that polite response is easy to hear even though the light static noise of the intercom, and with her control slipping further and further from her grasp Piper struggles to answer back.

"I-I know," Much to her embarrassment, she _stutters._ "But I... I can't find the folder right now." She lies, and unfortunately, when she's hired her assistant, she did so by picking the most thorough, willing, competent and servile in the bunch that she could find, and which commitment in her job (once again) doesn't disappoint her when the first response to that cringe-worthy lie, is to immediately offer a _direct_ assistance.

 _"If you are having problems with your computer, Miss Chapman, I can just come in and take a look-"_

" _NO!_ " An instant panic flares hotly inside Piper's stomach, shooting up her spine and blazing on her face (even though that it's still nothing compared to the scorching levels her arousal has reached) making her shout that sharp answer perhaps _a bit_ more loudly than she meant to.

A grimace contorts her features, already picturing her poor, dedicated assistant startling in her seat at her own desk, just outside the doors of her office.

...and she can also perfectly picture, with extreme ease, the smug _grin_ that must be _splitting_ Alex's face in half right behind her.

"I mean no, t-thank you, Amelia," She answers, much more calmly and apologetic, even though she knows that she fails miserably in sounding anywhere close to controlled. "T-that won't be necessary." She assures. "Just... Look for it downstairs in the archive and bring me a few copies, please."

There is a moment of pause into which she can almost _hear_ the puzzlement and the silent debate that her secretary is clearly having about whether to ask her if she is feeling okay or just obey to her request without question. Luckily, a firm, polite and respectful _"Of course, Miss Chapman"_ is the response that comes through eventually, but Piper doesn't dare to breathe until she hears the sound of high heels on the marble floor on the hallway outside her office grow distant.

"Well... that didn't sound suspicious _at all_." Alex teases her, but this time, Piper's had _enough_ of it, as well as that unbearable stillness holding her hostage.

This time, her cheeks don't flare into that far-too-familiar shade of pink result of embarrassment for the poor excuse she has come up with to not risk _another_ interruption.

This time she turns around as much as her current position allows her to, and locks her gaze with Alex over her shoulder.

That cocky smile is there, just like Piper _knew_ it would be, gracing those luscious, soft, rosy lips in a way that is equally attractive and infuriating, even though... it instantly drops when Alex sees the look in her eyes, sees the hungry desire reflected in them. Dark and as deep as how her own voice sounds when she- officially _done_ with playing games - bravely, confidently tells Alex to

"Just _fuck me_ already."

And it's probably the _demand_ , the uncharacteristic _depth_ that her voice reaches, the raw _need_ in her tone, paired with the intense look that, for once, Piper finds herself being able to deliver _and_ hold without faltering with self-consciousness.

Whatever it is, she knows that she has hit the target efficiently when she hears Alex _growl._

That same, low, animalistic, _primal_ sound that Piper has heard a week ago and that still manages to shake the very foundations of her being.

The hands settled on her waist tightens, fingers digging into her bony hips, and then, finally, _finally_ , at long last, Piper gets her sweet _reward._

She may have been brave enough to hold Alex's gaze and make such a daring demand, but...

In the moment she feels Alex's hands tightening on her hips like that before pushing hers forward and _sink_ the rest of the shaft inside her until their bodies meet, she _crumbles_. _Literally._

The fullness filling her steals the air from her lungs, her arms tremble, and then give out from under her until she has no choice but bend over her desk in submission. _Reveling_ with every fiber of her being, _shuddering_ with the most absolute delight at that gratifying, stinging stretch and the exquisite fullness that such penetration brings her, soothing the aching emptiness that was driving her closer and closer to insanity.

It's almost overwhelming, and she is suddenly incredibly glad to be already laying face down on her desk, because with the way her entire body starts shaking, her arms wouldn't have been able to support her a moment longer against the shock of pleasure that shoots up her spine and weakens further her limbs when Alex bends and leans forward, just enough to whisper a few words in her ear.

 _"I like this shade of sass on you,"_ She breathes, sultry. And Piper struggles to hold back a whimper upon hearing that approving purr. That... veiled _praise_. "Be careful though..." Alex also warns her with a matching, deeper, dangerous tone that makes her all the more glad and proud to have been so bold. Thinking of that exquisite warning tone (and having gotten to Alex's nerves) as the other half of her reward.

"Just because this time we are here in your office, don't think that you are going to be the one in charge of things, _CEO_ _Chapman_."

She's getting mocked.

 _Worse._

She is getting reminded of _her place_ in what has become their dynamics, right there, on her own desk.

And it couldn't be more _wonderful._

So much better than _anything_ she could have ever hoped for. Anything she could have ever imagined.

It surpasses her fantasy and makes it seem like a crumpled, colorless sketch in comparison to the composition that Alex is painting for her with intense bright colors, using the colorful palette of her ample, vivid spectrum of emotions to make the whole experience three-dimensional for her and all her senses. Something that the raven-haired woman has always accomplished with such enthusiasm and... _devotion._

As for the resulting, lingering sting left by that mockery, it gets taken away when she feels Alex reaching out with one hand to move aside the few strands of hair that have fallen over the side of her face.

Such a simple gesture, and yet the _instinct_ in it renders it all the more sincere. Being at the end of that same infinite tenderness that she has already seen glimpses of in Alex and experienced more and more often before _that night,_ and experiencing it even _now,_ in this particular moment, it only makes that thing that Piper has felt the presence of there in her chest ever since that night at the club, swell to a bursting point. Almost as consuming as the desire throbbing between her legs and leaking out of her.

"I'm temporarily relieving you from your duties," Alex informs her. And Piper can clearly hear the way her sultry, deep deep voice grows slightly softer. Tinged with a shade of hesitation that for a moment almost makes her sway out of the character that she is supposed to be playing... "Just... hold on tightly and enjoy this, Pipes."

And it's then, upon hearing that nickname, that Piper realizes - or rather has the confirmation of - that _this-_ that _Alex_ is _not_ playing a character.

There is a naturalness in the way her name falls the way it does from Alex's lips that both surprises her and, at the same time, it _doesn't_. It sounds so nice rolling off her tongue. So _smooth_. As if she is used to saying it all the time during these very intimate moments.

But the note of gentleness in her tone, as well as the one held in the hand moving aside that lock hair of from her face and tucking it behind her ear, is the last bit of gentleness that she witnesses and experiences from the raven-haired woman, who barely grants her those few moments to adjust to the girth filling her before drawing her hips back only to _slam_ back inside of her.

It's harsh and sudden.

Almost unforgiving.

And yet it's _perfect._

Holding every bit of the intention to make that previous reminder about _"who is really in charge here"_ stick properly. And the first bared display of such roughness is more than enough to elicit a half-shout from Piper that is both pain and pleasure and surprise all mingled together in the most exquisite swirl.

Hastily, she moves aside her laptop and instinctively grips the edge of her desk tighter, following the advice to hold onto something when she realizes that, for once, Alex has _no_ intention of teasing her. Choosing a rhythm that is immediately purposeful and steady.

Long, full thrusts that - with her resting in such a vulnerable position - allows the shaft to slide even deeper inside.

And considering how much of a tease Alex tends to be before granting her something that is half as purposeful... this pace is more than welcomed and an immense relief. In more than just one way.

Soon enough, as the speed adjusts, whatever trace of worry and concern she had about this specific fantasy getting fulfilled with such improvisation, gets completely melted away. Until all it remains is a nonsense blurred heap of _why_ she felt a spike of worry to begin with.

And it's then that she realizes it.

It's wasn't _a concern._

But rather the thrill of indulging in something like this, right _here._

The real reason that _thrilled_ her _so much_ about this.

And while she also knows that the element of surprise has certainly made things considerably more... _exciting,_ the improvisation certainly doesn't deserve all the merits about how wonderful this is turning out to be. Exceeding any of her previous expectations.

The firm grip of those hands on her hips, the delightful roughness of Alex's thrusts perfectly balanced with the way she expertly aims them, the fullness stretching her to the point where pleasure meets that oh-so- enjoyable sting of pain, is what renders all of this so authentic and all the more pleasurable.

Her inner muscles squeeze and ripple enthusiastically around that hard, thick shaft every time she gets filled almost to the hilt. _Almost._

Because Alex stops just before bottoming out, deliberately, _mindful_ of the unpleasantness that having the blunt tip nudge against the end of her canal would bring. Such a deep consideration that only reminds her that the toy wouldn't bring her any kind of pleasure on its own. Not without Alex's skills and profound anatomical knowledge and _attentiveness_ to how she reacts; reading her so expertly after having studied her _so thoroughly_ during the past couple of months, all just to bring her the kind of pleasure that, soon enough, overfloods her entire system, rendering the most simple and primary instinct such as breathing a real challenge.

 _And fuck._

As she pants and groans against her white lacquered desk, she _truly_ has to admit it...

For being someone who has given signs of being pretty much _disgusted_ by _anything_ that has to do with male anatomy, Alex sure knows how to properly use _a cock_.

Far more expertly than some of the guys she has been with.

And the irony of the thing would make Piper burst out laughing if the current circumstances didn't have her face down, bent over her own desk, panting and shamelessly moaning away her pleasure. Maybe she would even make such comment directly to Alex and enjoy that little sneer of disgust that she can already imagine scrunching up her nose and her gorgeous features. Right now however, she wisely decides not to tease her and potentially start something that she is most definitely _not_ going to be able to finish.

Because she may not be having her session at the sex club, in one of those appropriate rooms, but Alex's domain has undoubtedly extended this far. Into the building of her own company. Into her own office. And yet, the last thing that Piper feels under it, in her submission and powerlessness brought by her current position, by being taken in such a crude and _primal_ way leaving her _so_ exposed and vulnerable - is weakness.

It's actually extremely liberating.

Relinquishing all of her control like this. And... paradoxically _empowering,_ too.

But she is far beyond keep wondering how Alex can manage to make her feel two exact opposite, totally contradictory, mutually exclusive sensations at once.

She just revels in that magnificent contrast and the resulting pleasure that comes from the sparks that all those emotions and sensations create in their high-speed collision.

From willingly surrendering her power (even if just temporarily) to Alex, and falling into the embracing _bliss_ that comes by just knowing that she can have this moment.

She greedily takes each one of those perfect, steady thrusts that soon enough free her from that last pressing concern that is still sticking in the back of her mind about what all of this could mean after what happened that night between them.

The pleasure unfurling within her and winding through her veins, soon (luckily) overwhelms her senses and keeps her from wondering if something might have changed more... profoundly than she thought.

Or rather it keeps her from _overthinking_ about those few details into which she might have already noticed and _felt_ a considerable difference.

Like the little, tentative smile that she has seen on Alex's lips when the raven-haired woman first walked in. That glimmer shimmering in her eyes. A mix of mischief and the same unnamed _something else_ she doesn't dare to ponder over. Not right now.

For now, she is going to enjoy this. Take everything Alex wants to give her, although perfectly aware that, soon enough, she will find herself begging greedily for more.

 **. . .**

Piper's breathy sighs and shaky moans of pleasure are the sweetest, most _exquisite_ and _rewarding_ sounds that Alex has ever elicited from a woman.

They tumble from her lips so softly, but also with that primal, raw essence of an all-consuming desire laced into them, and Alex can't help but take pleasure even just by _listening_ to those noises and watching the shivers that she elicits and that travels all the way down Piper's spine, making her arch her back so delightfully.

With each thrust of her hips, Piper's meets her halfway by pushing back her own. It's greedy and lust driven. Clearly not done in order to fight the firm hold that she has on her waist but rather... coaxing her, with that exquisite arch and those equally delightful groans of approval, to put even more purpose behind her thrusts.

And Alex is feeling _so_ very generous today in fact, that she takes that wordless request without asking the young businesswoman to properly utter it out loud for her like she normally would. Or maybe she is just giving in to self-indulgence by increasing the depth and force of her thrusts, which also offer her the perfect chance to turn those delicate, breathy sighs into actual screams, and those little shivers into a series of earthquakes.

An "office-quicky" was the scenario she had thought of as the more appropriate given the circumstances and the non soundproof room, but now that she finds herself here, standing behind Piper like this, with the young businesswoman looking so _willing_ and _excited_ (as she _always_ is) to take _anything_ she has to give... The temptation to throw caution to the wind grows infinitely stronger.

And to make it all the more irresistible and give in to that thing snarling inside her with the urge to just _take her harder_ , there is the fact of how _beautiful_ she looks like this:

Bent over her desk, those gorgeous, long, stocking-clad legs spread open, expensive high heels showing the definition of her toned calves, the soft smoothness of her thighs, and then, higher up... her sweet, _sweet_ center. Outer lips blossomed open. Split by the shaft buried inside of her and that keeps coming out more and more _slick_ with each thrust.

Alex feels her own core _clench_ around the part of the toy resting inside of her, her clit _throbbing_ against the ridged seat pressed against her groin. But for how pleasant, all of those sensations (as well as Piper's reaction to the groan that rumbles in the back of her throat and that earns another delightful shiver) are still nothing compared to the... _thing..._ that blooms and expands in her chest when Piper - as if _sensing_ her need, her inner _struggle_ to _let go_ \- glances back at her from above her shoulder and asks her for,

" _More_... Ple-ase _more._ "

It's _far_ too simple.

Normally it would _hardly_ be considered as a sufficient request. _Especially_ considering how exquisitely eloquent she knows Piper can be in voicing her needs more... _explicitly_. And, _normally,_ Alex would definitely _demand her_ to be more specific. But...

There is _something_ in having those deep blue eyes locking with hers with such a piercing intensity and desperation, and hearing that smooth, elegant voice _break_ with need in the middle of that poor plea that, somehow, is enough to snap that remaining restraint that was holding Alex back.

She wonders if that glint of emotion that she sees shimmering into those pools of blue has something to do with that. Or even with the way her heart skips a couple of beats when she catches that rather compelling reflection staring right back at her.

All she knows, is that she has never been more _eager_ to grant something, even though she doesn't do that without at least a little bit of teasing first.

She couldn't.

Not when she is perfectly aware of what kind of delightful responses she is most likely going to receive from the young businesswoman.

"Listen to yourself," She comments, going for reprimanding and taunting but actually sounding as proud by such display as she feels when her next, harsher thrust earns her a chocked shout.

" _Begging_ to be taken harder. Just try to take in consideration your surroundings," She reminds the young woman who, however, seems to be far too gone already to care about being _heard_ with her assistant gone and no one else staying in the immediate vicinities. And that's what motivated Alex to keep going.

"What would you do if one of your subordinates walks in to see you _like this?_ "

Playing the _"possibly getting caught"_ card (as expected) earns her a long shiver that makes the young, driven businesswoman shake _all over_ with that contrasting mix of trepidation and excitement, and in front of such an exquisite response, Alex can't help but exploit such scenario, painting it with more vivid colors for her enjoyment. "What would they think seeing a woman of your position, _their boss,_ bent over her own desk and taking it to the hilt?"

It's becoming increasingly more difficult for her to keep up her taunting and at the same time maintain the rhythm of her thrusts, especially considering how... wonderfully _tight_ Piper is. And how much that _extra friction_ that she is receiving every time she pulls out is affecting her.

And if that isn't already enough to make Alex's arousal reach a dangerous level, she also discovers that taunting Piper in such way is a double edge blade.

Because for the first time _ever_ there is no trace of that endearing bashfulness when the young woman looks back at her, and with those dark blue eyes burning with lust and the confidence that she's always possessed but rarely shown during these specific circumstances, answers that question with a simple, breathless yet startling honest, blunt and surprisingly steady,

"I _don't care_ about what they would think."

And it's then, that Alex's thrusts actually _falter_ and her core _clenches_ with a spasm of pleasure shooting straight down her lower belly. All just upon hearing _that_ answer.

She's finally succeeded.

Pride swells inside of her chest. Although this time it's not for something that _she_ has accomplished.

This time it's all for _Piper_. Because she, alone, has _finally_ managed to break that final seal of shyness into which the young woman has been clinging to for all this time. Like the loops of a safety line guiding her through.

And seeing her unhook the karabiner and proceed unleashed like this, with such confidence... it definitely affects Alex, and there is not much she can do when, following that bold answer, she feels that sharp _stab_ of arousal dig itself deeper where the rest of her desire has pooled heavily into her lower belly, making her inner muscles spasm on themselves, her clit throb against the ridged seat of the toy and - much to her shock - throwing her dangerously off balance and awfully close to that slippery edge. Right where Piper herself is facing the abyss waiting for them below.

And this time, Alex has a feeling that she is going to be the one who will struggle to maintain her balance. But in the moment she feels like she is about to lose it for good, she sure is going to _drag_ Piper down with her.

Because nothing would make that promise of pleasure more enjoyable than sharing it with her.

After all, she has already experienced it, and while she might have some concerns about a few things linked to it, she can confidently say that there is no comparison to such... _completeness._

For the first time in her life, in fact, she has never been more attracted to something that scares her as much as the feeling blossoming in her chest.

 **. . .**

Piper recognizes it as soon as she feels it.

That little _stutter_ in Alex's thrusts.

It's almost imperceptible. But _it's there._

And not only she knows _what_ it means, but the realization, _the knowledge_ that it has been _her answer_ to earn her such response and elicit the low, guttural, primal groan that the raven-haired woman tries unsuccessfully to choke down upon hearing her response, is enough to make her desire skyrocket.

That knot nestled in her lower belly grows painfully tight, just like every muscle in her body; tensing up in preparation despite her intention to holds onto this moment for as long as she can, tightening her grip onto the edge of her desk as if to ground herself harder, and not giving _a damn_ if someone might be hearing her moans of pleasure which become louder with each harsh snap of Alex's thrusts.

She has _every_ intention to make this last, but, most of all, she intends to wait until Alex has fully reached her so she can properly savor the moment in its completeness.

She is _almost_ there already.

Those thrusts, even in their faltering steadiness. are still more than precise enough to bring her closer and closer to the inevitable fall. But she still has one request to make before surrendering to that indomitable pull of gravity.

One thing that is going to make all of this impossibly more _fulfilling_ and _memorable_.

And that's what she finds herself craving more. That's what she needs more than anything else right now. Perhaps even more than the orgasm tickling at the end of her spine and making her inner muscles ripple with anticipation around the thickness stretching her so delightfully and hitting all the most sensitive spots inside of her.

She needs to make this moment last, to archive every little detail _just in case_ _that_... _No._

The possibilities of what is going to happen after this, when the haze of lust will lift and she will be left alone with Alex and a whole new reality to face, is the last thing she tries to focus on, even if the question is there no matter what. Poking at the edge of her mind.

She pushes those thoughts as far away as she can, and lets the resulting resurfacing concerns get scorched by the desire burning inside of her.

It takes her every bit of energy and coordination that she has left in her, but she manages to pull herself up enough by using the surface of the desk as leverage before turning around just enough to meet Alex's gaze, and once she does... She almost loses her balance and tumbles over that edge when she locks her eyes with a pair of dark, lustful gems filled with raw desire and sparkling with the same raw, primal need that has the hands gripping her hips twitch to further tighten the hold that she has there.

The angle of the following thrust hits a particularly pleasant spot that tears a little cry from her lips.

But Piper _resists._ Determined to at least present her final request before letting go completely.

"Please..." She begs, and even if she doesn't have to put any kind of effort in trying to convey _how much_ she wants this, how desperately - to a visceral level - she desires this, she does struggle to keep her voice from cracking when she asks Alex to "Please..." She whimpers. "Please _come with me,_ Alex."

Standing at the threshold of bliss without crossing it, is not something that she would have been able to do without the... _proper training_ that she has received in the past couple of months. The promise of getting blown away by the pleasure that would course through her entire system and consume her is far beyond tempting. But _she resists_.

She resists until she hears Alex release that exquisite guttural sound that resembles an animalistic growl- a strangled _roar,_ a wordless answer to her request that is soon followed by the more consistent, harsher, faster rhythm of her hips picking up speed.

Once again Piper doesn't know whether it has been _her_ being explicit, or if it is the nature of the request itself what earns her such an enthusiastic an immediate response. But she sure couldn't be _more delighted_ when, after such request falls from her lips, Alex starts angling her thrusts, (long and full and perfect and _so_ generous) to deliberately hit that extremely responsive spot against her front wall that makes Piper shake with the effort that it's taking her to hold back.

But she _does._

And it's only then, only when she feels Alex bury herself as deep inside of her as she can and _grind_ against her ass to provide that extra friction that she needs against her own core, that Piper _finally_ lets go of all that pressure that had built up inside of her in just the past few minutes.

But it's actually hearing the strangled cry that Alex releases, feeling her body tense up behind her before it _snaps_ with that unmistakable harsh twitch as the first wave of pleasure assaults her, what makes Piper's own orgasm all the most vicious, devastating and absolutely _overwhelming_ when it crashes into her a heartbeat later.

She is pretty sure that she comes screaming a strangled resemblance of Alex's name. But with the sudden ringing in her ears due to the rush of blood to her head (and, at the same time, between her legs), she can't say for certain.

She is _barely_ aware of reaching back with one hand and digging her nails onto Alex's ass cheek, gripping the solid muscle that she feels there, under the smooth fabric of her pantsuit, as an encouragement for the raven-haired woman _to keep going,_ to take _whatever she needs from her,_ _To use her for her own pleasure_. Because for the first time ever, that concept arouses Piper more than anything else.

During each one of their sessions, Alex has always focused on _her_ pleasure.

But there is something in feeling her snap like this, in feeling her grinding against her to _chase_ her own need that it only renders Piper's climax infinitely more powerful.

Her inner muscles clench, fluttering and rippling. _Greedily_ milking the hard, thick shaft buried inside of her while her hips push further back against Alex, meeting her shallow thrusts, trying to take that extra inch left at the base _and succeeding._ Feeling her slide impossibly deeper within her.

She simply can't ignore that need, that demand coming from somewhere inside of her that just wants to... feel Alex _closer._

It's physical, and yet, at the same time... it _isn't._

She doesn't question it. Not that she would be able to anyway. Not even if she weren't currently experiencing that familiar lightheadedness turning into a full vertigo due to a lack of air and the bliss coursing through her entire body and that makes her feel dangerously unsteady. But even if it wasn't for her sturdy desk offering support, she still wouldn't worry about unsteadiness with the firm, solid, grounding, _unyielding_ feeling of Alex holding onto her while she rides the rest of her orgasm against the seat of the strapless toy in a series of twitchy, uneven thrusts.

Piper's orgasm is intense to a draining point, and she savors every single drop of it as it leaks out of her. Quite literally, really. Until, unfortunately, it starts tapering off. Far sooner than she is anywhere _close_ to being ready to let go of this moment of profound connection.

She doesn't have much of a choice though, with the tall, violent waves of pleasure growing less forceful and turning into something gentler.

She can just swim against them for a few seconds to give her the impression of being able to cheat that indomitable flow.

She succeeds only in part, but... Alex's profound knowledge and... expertness - not to mention her attentiveness (which seems to be on high alert even during the peak of an orgasm) - sure manage to prolong that bliss by controlling the harsh, shallow and uneven snap of her hips and turn them into longer and smoother thrusts followed by a gentle rotation that make the shaft inside of her stroke every inch of her rippling inner walls.

The gentler rhythm and the resulting sparks of pleasure that those smoother thrusts still elicit from her, soothes the spiky inevitability of this moment reaching its end. But what really comforts Piper in the most profound way is the feeling of Alex leaning (or rather half-slumping) against her back, seeking support to hold herself up as she recovers. Breathing those soft puffs of warm air into the crook of her neck from behind.

She doubts that she will ever be able to understand what is it precisely about such feeling that brings her such a great amount of comfort. But there is just s _omething_ in the gentle weight of that warm body, in those curves cradling her own so perfectly, that provides her an immense reassurance.

Perhaps it's simply the closeness itself.

Or maybe it's the cocktail of adrenaline and endorphins winding through her system, heightening her senses and making her feel a bit euphoric.

Whatever it is, she revels in the... closeness and intimacy of this position.

She savors that sweetly grounding feeling until Alex recovers, seeming to feel steady enough to hold herself up on her own.

Piper misses the warm, strong frame of that body pressed against hers as soon as Alex starts pulling back from her.

And then, under the subduing ringing in her ears and pounding of her heart, she can hear herself actually whimpering, softly, in protest, when Alex starts _pulling out_ of her, too, even though she can't do anything to fight that except squeeze her exhausted inner muscles one last time in a weak attempt to hold her inside for just that minute longer that she would like to stretch into an undefined time. Especially if she considers the reality awaiting them and all those possibilities that she _really_ just doesn't want to think about just yet.

Eventually though, she gets betrayed by the slickness of her own arousal, and there is nothing she can do about that.

Alex, however, is still careful in withdrawing, slowly, and when she pulls out for the rest of the way those remaining few inches, the shaft slips out from inside her with a light bounce, but... the sudden loss of that delightful pressure, of the pleasantly stinging stretch, is not what makes Piper gasp.

It's actually feeling the tip, the blunt, flared head of the toy - hot with her own core-temperature and slick with the result of her pleasure - rest right against her _other_ opening.

The contact on its own elicits a shiver that travels up the whole length of her spine, making her arms shake with the effort it takes her to hold herself up, and Alex, as attentive as ever in every little detail, in every little reaction showing on her body as she always is - even when she is still breathing hard and struggling to regain her composure after her own draining release - notices it _immediately._

Her hand reaches out to soothe those muscles in her lower back that have instinctively tensed up with that... foreign, yet _oddly pleasant,_ delicate, slick pressure against that... _spot_. And Piper truly can't help but melt under the kindness and comfort of that touch, even though something inside her start simmering all over again when, in the moment her hips rock back, possessed by a whole other new instinct, Alex stops the movement by resting a hand on her waist before leaning forward and, in a soft, particularly sultry voice that sounds even deeper than usual and a bit strained with the threads of exertion, whispers one simple word in her ear.

" _Soon._ "

But it's more than just a word.

In fact, it sounds a lot like _a promise_. And despite the simplicity with which it has been uttered, it still has the power to elicit a long, harsh shudder that leaves her entire body shaking with that mix of anticipation and trepidation that is becoming quite familiar to her and that she only associates with the kind of excitement that only Alex is able to make her experience.

Or maybe it's the feeling of Alex's sweet breath brushing against that tender, extremely _responsive_ spot under her jaw.

 _Or maybe_ it is the consequent reasoning springing from the thought- from _the realization,_ that Alex has every intention to continue their sessions and introduce her to other practices, including even _that_ specific fantasy she might have mentioned in her questionnaire.

And it's that exact realization, the way it inflates her chest with hope what makes her less reluctant about turning around to face the raven-haired woman. Even though, in the moment she does so, she also realizes that her eagerness has stripped her from the chance to properly prepare for the possible sight she would be met with.

And when the sight that greets her turns out being the most adorably nervous little smile twitching on Alex's rosy lips and a soft, almost shy, _"Hey there..."_ Piper feels it is again.

That same _feeling_ swelling within her heart and fluttering, rising from her chest only to get stuck in her throat and make her voice stutter when she greets Alex back with an equally breathless _"Hey yourself..."_ totally aware of the way her lips stretch into a smile so wide to dig dimples on her cheeks.

"So... _ah,_ " An awkward Alex is probably the most endearing sight she has ever witnessed, and when the raven-haired woman concludes her attempt for a nonchalant conversation by asking her "How's your day going?" Piper truly can't help but _laugh._

A full laugh that holds all of her humor mingled with an immeasurable relief.

She gets rewarded with a much more visible smile and... it's really _not fair_ how beautiful Alex looks, or how strongly the resulting crippling effect of such raw beauty affects her.

But that's not what makes her heart flip all over itself.

It's more the light sparkling into those eyes, now clear of the burning, flickering flames of lust and shimmering of a stunning aqua-green. Two perfectly limpid pools into which Piper can see the precious flecks of gold lying at the bottom.

"Oh, it's going great, thank you for asking." Playing along is far too tempting. "Even though..." Her voice trails off into a pause and she actually has to blink away to divert her attention, seeking to regain her faltering composure before she can drown into those emerald lakes, and that's how her gaze lands once again down on her desk and, more specifically, on the abandoned folders sitting on a remote corner. "My ten am appointment hasn't turned out the way I expected _exactly_ ," She takes the chance to tease _her_ , for a change. Eyeing the project she had been meaning to illustrate to Alex and maybe get her professional _and personal_ opinion about it.

"In a... positive way or...?" The hint of hesitation that she can hear in Alex's voice in that unfinished question is just another treat. And for how much Piper would absolutely love to leave her hanging for a few seconds longer and see how much it would take to see Alex actually _squirm_ , but she just _can't..._

"More as in an... incredibly compelling _alternative._ " She assures her, struggling to hold back that smile threatening to take over her face.

She has definitely taken an infinite amount of pleasure in fulfilling such fantasy, but what she means right now, what she has found herself needing most, has been seeing Alex. Here. In the daylight, and have the proof that things haven't changed between them after that night. Or rather they have. But... listening to that primal desire that has taken over hasn't made things... _complicated._

It seems... quite the opposite in fact.

It just feels all so... easy.

 _Effortless._

But... she still doesn't trust herself to make assumptions based on facts she hasn't had the chance to confirm yet.

Even though... Alex's smile surely challenges her reasoning.

"What about your day?" She asks the raven-haired woman in return then in an attempt to regain her stability. "Got any more drunk madmen to deal with at the club these days?" She inquires, mostly playfully but also with an attentive seriousness in her gaze as she searches Alex's, because even though (thankfully) no real trouble has resulted from the intrusion of that drunk man barging into the club beside some much-expected _fuss_ from the exclusively female clientele, it could have definitely escalated into something worse than a slightly heated commotion.

"Luckily, no." Alex sighs, gratefully and immensely relieved before looking up at her with that glint in her eyes and the beginning of a little smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I mean... I'm here after all, aren't I?"

 _Oh, indeed she is,_ Piper thinks, inhaling a shuddered breath that only makes her heart beat that tiny bit faster when, by breathing so deeply, she also gets a whiff of Alex's intoxicating perfume.

"This may not have been what I expected," She admits breathing out softly, feeling quite drained but oh so _deeply_ sated. "But..." And then she pauses, swallowing, preparing to admit the obvious as she bravely meets Alex's gaze again, not even bothering to fight off the blush that she can already feel tinging her cheeks. "I _truly_ needed that. Thank you."

The dazzling smile that her gratitude earns her is worth _every bit_ of the heat slowly crawling down her neck.

"Always at your service," Alex even _half bows_. The insufferable tease.

"But believe me, it was also _my pleasure_." No one has ever worn such cheekiness with so much elegance, Piper believes. Even though that unmistakable tilt of mischief glinting into those green eyes and curling on those rosy lips doesn't completely mask that shade of guilt for having interfered with her original plan.

"I must admit that... when you invited me here saying that you wanted to _discuss business_ with me... Well, I may have made some _assumptions_ on my own when I remembered you mentioning this fantasy and how you would have liked to explore it."

It's... simply _adorable_. Witnessing as that mix of confidence and professionalism occasionally sprinkled with the perfect amount of mischief and a shade of humor, gets swallowed by the foreign bashfulness tugging at Alex's feature right now.

Piper can't even help but smile in front of that look even though she shakes her head in response to the raven-haired woman's _"assumption"_ as she called it.

"For once, when I said _"business"_ I actually meant that I wanted to discuss real business with you. As in my business..." She states, standing a bit taller, folding her arms across her chest and... narrowing her eyes in a soft, teasingly accusing little glare, because... "And I'm pretty sure that, assumptions or not, you _knew_ that, too. Didn't you?" She accuses her. Because Alex is always _very clear_ about _when_ and _where_ and especially _how_ their appointment and everything regarding them is going to be played out like, and... this, _today_ , it _wasn't_ planned as one of their usual... _weekly meetings._

And... there simply are no words to express how _delighted_ Piper is when she sees Alex fumble with her glasses, diverting her gaze by tilting her head down at such accusation. _Guiltily._

She _revels_ in front of such a rare sight. Even if it lasts only for a moment though. Because a second later, Alex lifts her head again, and this time, there is no trace of that endearing shyness and awkwardness showing on her gorgeous features or clouding those piercing green eyes now filled with the same painful honesty that she can hear even more clearly in her voice when the raven-haired woman admits that,

"Maybe I just wanted to see you, then. Business or not."

For a moment, in the following couple of seconds, everything slows down and then halts all at once.

And Piper wonders if Alex _knows._

If she is aware and actually does it _on purpose_ eliciting that glorious pang, that halting _stutter_ that echoes in a series of flutters by the muscle caged inside her chest, by simply having confessed to her the true reason behind this visit. _Invitation or not._

Alex surprises her in being so... _unexpectedly open_. And she might even envy her a little for looking so contrastingly _strong,_ even when she is displaying such vulnerability.

This time, it's Alex who reaches out first.

A slender, exceptionally skilled hand cups her jaw, emerald eyes drift and linger for a long breathless second stretched into a short infinity down on her lips, but... eventually, it's _Piper_ the one who takes the chance once more. Borrowing some of that bravery and also some of that _tentative confidence_ emanating from Alex before... _leaning in_.

And even though the memory that she has been revisiting over and over in the past week hasn't faded in anything, not one single detail, it sparks back to life with all of its vivid colorful intensity in the moment their lips touch again.

The kiss starts exceptionally soft, which makes it all the more perfect considering how _merciless_ passion has been with both of them in the past ten minutes. And even though she has already climbed down from that height, the softness and laziness in this kiss, the intimacy in it, makes Piper float back up a little with an immense relief.

She would be lying in fact if she said that she hasn't been wondering, somewhere in the back of her head, while pleasure was consuming every other fiber of her being, what could have brought Alex here, like this. If maybe she did take the chance of the invitation to remind her of _her place_ , of _their arrangement,_ _their deal_ but...

The comfort that she finds in the sweetness of Alex's lips, in the warmth that draws her in and encourages her to dip her tongue into her mouth to sample some more of her essence... Provides her an answer to that silent inner debate.

And if that isn't enough to soothe her, when she feels Alex nuzzle the side of her nose with hers - just once - in the moment they part to draw some air, the infinite tenderness of that single and simple gesture is far more than just enough to melt whatever knot of doubt was left, and that Piper had felt twisting inside of her.

She leans against Alex, finding support on her strong, broad shoulders and, with her voice sounding so foreign husky and deep, slightly breathless and unrecognizable to her own ears she says, "We probably shouldn't have done that, uh?"

Alex breathes out a chuckle upon hearing that tentative question, pulling back from her just enough to meet her fleeting gaze.

"Yeah well... I think we are _far_ beyond that breaking-rules and strictly-professional-client/Mistress relationship." The raven-haired woman points out. Her tone somewhere in between humor and self-reprimanding before growing suddenly a bit more serious when, with a remerging shade of tentativeness she adds, "And I also think that maybe..." She swallows, hard, nodding to herself and breathing out slowly through her nose before continuing with faltering confidence. "Maybe we should talk."

That suggestion, that hesitant statement catches Piper by surprise.

She must have been too... worried a few moments ago to hold her gaze. But now... Now she finds herself _in need_ to see whatever those emerald lakes might be reflecting.

Because it has been _Alex_ who, that very same night, told her that it was best _not_ to talk about what had just happened between them. And even though she hasn't insisted because afraid of far too many things - all of which linked to the beating muscle in her chest and the new rhythm with which it had started galloping away - she also _wanted_ to talk and get a clearer image about what _that_ could have meant.

She is starting to get her own idea about it.

And she doesn't know whether she should hope to be right or wrong on such matter.

 _Even though..._

As she looks at Alex right now, and sees _how much_ it is taking from her part to open up like she is trying to...

It makes Piper realize that it's clearly _not_ something that the raven-haired woman is used in doing.

Acknowledging her... _feelings._

She looks pretty uncomfortable as she lets them emerge, all while doing her very best to maintain her cool demeanor as close to intact as possible.

But that fluttering cape makes her look particularly small right now with the way she squirms under its weight, and Piper has to resist, with all her might, to not melt into an adoring smile at the sight of her like this. Even though, once again, there is little she can do for the hope that swells inside her chest and that also makes her blurt out a hopeful,

"You mean..." She starts the question, but doesn't dare to utter another word, swallowing in an attempt to hold back the emotions rising from her throat, just in case she might have misinterpreted whatever Alex might mean with that _"talk"._

But... she _hasn't._

"I mean _properly talk_ ," Alex concludes for her with a short nod and releasing a silent, shaky breath through her nose. "About... _That night._ What happened at the club, and... maybe we could discuss some... options?"

 _Options._

Piper almost does a double take upon hearing that word. Barely believing that this is actually happening.

Because not only they are acknowledging _it_ , here, out in the open, under the much more rational daylight, but... _Alex_ is the one asking her such thing and... And looking so incredibly _vulnerable_ and tentative and a bit _frightened_ in doing so.

Piper somehow manages to swallow down the knot tightened in her throat, but there is nothing she can do for the smile that stretches on her lips in front of that unexpected look shaping Alex's features.

"I... I would like that." She answers eventually, when she feels confident enough that her voice isn't going to betray her, and the way Alex smiles at her in return - slowly and then _fully -_ really challenges her resolution about not carding a hand through that marvelous dark hair and pull her closer for another, _deeper, longer_ kiss. And when she notices Alex's gaze drifting down to her lips... her hand actually _itches_ with that urge to reach out.

"I should probably go now." Alex acknowledges, pulling a bit more away- showing an obvious reluctance as she does so, but seeming to _suspect_ what would happen if they maintain this... _closeness_. The smile already adorning her lips however twitches a bit higher when Piper groans in protest and tries to bring her just that tiny bit closer to herself once more by tugging at the front of her vest.

Alex may have been the one to take that step back, but she puts no resistance whatsoever when she gets once again pulled closer. Chuckling as she steps in the small cradle left between Piper's legs, but also rightfully pointing out that "Your assistant is going to come back any minute now-"

A fact that Piper is ready to respond by saying that she doesn't give a damn when Alex continues by drawing her attention on another detail...

" _And_ I'm still... Well..." That deep, slightly husky voice trails off then and she concludes that sentence by simply... glancing downwards.

Puzzled, Piper follows her gaze, where it immediately lands on the thick shaft of the toy jutting out from the front of Alex's unzipped pants. Standing right between their bodies and _shimmering_ with her drying release. From the tip and halfway down the thick base.

At the sight of it, a blazing heat flares instantly on Piper's cheeks. And even though she feels deeply sated after the surprisingly intense (although brief) session that Alex has put her through, upon seeing that shaft her inner muscles still _clench_ with a tiny spark of renewed desire that has all the potential to grow back into that roaring fire that has consumed them both earlier.

She isn't even surprised by such response anymore.

Just like she is no longer shocked about having received pleasure by penetration alone.

Alex has proved her wrong on so many occasions that now, the only thing that surprises her is how the raven-haired woman could have managed _walking_ with that... _protrusion_ standing in the way. She can't even help but chuckle through her blush once she remembers the way Alex has walked into her office barely fifteen minutes ago.

"It can't _possibly_ have been comfortable coming all the way here with _that_ stuffed in your pants." She comments, barely able to suppress the full laugh threatening to spring from that amused little chuckle scratching the back of her throat when she sees the much-expected sneer that briefly contorts Alex's features as she hurriedly stuffs the toy back onto her pants fixing her shirt and vest in the process too.

Piper takes the occasion to adjust her clothes as well, stepping down from where she has been perched on the edge of her desk, rolling her skirt down from around her hips and smoothing out the few wrinkles that she finds there. But then, when Alex glances back up at her and Piper sees that smile and the... softness of a sentiment shaping those gorgeous features as the raven-haired woman reaches out with both hands to adjust the collar of her blouse, whatever trace of humor left in her is taken away immediately when Alex answers to her previous comment and simply tells her that,

"It was _totally_ worth it."

That thing in Piper's chest expands all of a sudden. Invading her lungs, stealing the air out of her chest, swelling her heart, and flowing her system with the aid of her next stuttered heartbeat along with a spike of adrenaline. It's hard to resist that overwhelming urge to just reach out and slip her hand on the back of Alex's head and pull her closer to capture her lips in another kiss.

But she has the feeling that if she would do that, there is no stopping what would happen all over again knowing how _easily_ such kiss would grow heated, and she can't guarantee that she would be able to stop. _Or behave._

And so, even if it feels like she is denying herself something vital by doing so - like oxygen - she desists.

"Call me?" She asks her instead, and yes, she sounds thrilled and nervous all at once when she breathily blurts out that question.

But mostly... she sounds _hopeful._ And that feeling grows even bigger in front of the smile that shapes Alex's lips. It reaches her eyes and makes them sparkle, leaving Piper's heart to flutter with the same emotions that she sees reflected on the surface of those emerald lakes.

"I promise," Alex assures her. "I just..." And then, suddenly, her voice trails off once again.

And Piper instantly frowns when she sees those green eyes growing curiously distant for a moment, a frown creasing right between those perfectly sculpted eyebrows with a hint of concern. Something spiky stirs in the pit of her stomach in front of that look, but before she can ask Alex if she- if everything okay, the raven-haired woman swallows, thickly and then shakes her head, dissipating whatever troubling thought had gotten a grasp of her.

"I just need to take care of something first." She informs in the end, rather... cryptically. Flashing her another smile, even though significantly different from the previous one. Shaky. And laced with something that looks like a mix of concern and... guilt. The kind that doesn't allow her to keep her gaze locked with her for long. Its less-than-reassuring nature makes it all the more puzzling. And in front of it, Piper feels as _that thing_ that she has felt stirring in her stomach, twists uncomfortably on itself.

It's... such a foreign sensation.

But she tries not to think much of it, afraid that maybe the cocktail of hormones still holding her hostage and heightening her emotions could be making her see (and feel) too much. And even though that look (as well as that cryptical... information) worries her, she decides to not pry further.

She keeps that itching little concern for herself, and the light, lingering kiss that Alex plants just on the corner of her mouth, the impossible softness in it, the reluctance showing in her eyes when she pulls back to gather her coat and leave, smooths out the uncomfortably sharp edges of a doubt that Piper was starting to feel sink its claws into her.

Well...

 _Mostly._

They are still sharp enough to scrape the surface and dig. Scratching her from the inside. And leaving a papercut kind of sting right behind her sternum.

 **. . .**

The... _thought,_ is still there. That last conversation and the memory of Alex looking so uncharacteristically uneasy before leaving, pokes at the edge of her mind. _However,_ (just like that itching scratch) it's so distant compared to everything else that has happened earlier, that it definitely doesn't affect the smile that graces her lips for the rest of the morning.

It's there when her assistant, ten minutes after Alex has left, brings her the documents she has asked and totally forgot about.

It's there when she goes over the final details of a new contract.

And it's also there when her business partner barges into her office an hour later, practically shouting, "I have _excellent_ news, partner!" and almost making her jump out of her skin.

"Jesus, Polly..." She actually startles in her seat because her mind had once again drifted far off, leaving her there with half of her usual awareness.

Upon seeing her so... unprepared, her best friend gives her this look. The same one that she has noticed her assistant giving to her earlier but who knows best than to get too personal with her.

Polly however, doesn't have such reserve, and certainly doesn't care about masking the quizzical eyebrow that arches with a hint of... suspicion.

"What have you been up to?"

It's even there in her voice, and in her posture when she asks her such question.

"U-uh, nothing. I mean... the usual, you know." _Right, the usual,_ she thinks to herself while shrugging nonchalantly and doing her best to keep her poker face on, fumbling with the papers on her desk, putting them in order so she doesn't have to meet her best friend's rather _suspicious_ gaze. Because it's _so usual_ for her to get fucked against her own desk like Alex-

 _Nope._

Not a safe territory to visit right now with her best friend right there, ready to tease her and... make her _spill_ everything even though... Alex has already seen to _that._

 _Ugh..._

Terrible.

"Just..." She shakes her head to try to clear it from those marvelous images freshly branded and still sizzling in her mind, doing her best to minimize the effect of the sparks of electricity springing from those thoughts and that are making her body react in _certain_ (fortunately not-so-visible) _ways_.

"What _is it_ , Polly?" She asks her best friend through a sigh in the end.

Luckily, whatever news that her best friend is about to give her is so thrilling that she looks past her generally flustered state, and the _subtle_ squirming that she does on her chair before crossing her legs when she feels the whisper of a familiar throb echoing between them.

"Alright, brace yourself Pipes..."

 _You are not the first one to tell me that today._

 _Ugh..._

She actually has to bite her own tongue to hold back that response and risk exposing herself to a string of questions and wide-eyed incredulous looks that, once she'll cave in and confess, would most definitely grow into insufferably teasing smirks and-

"We finally have our location outside the city!"

Of all the things that she expected to hear from her partner, that one was probably the last on her radar, but that doesn't mean that upon hearing it she doesn't get affected by the same excitement bubbling from her friend.

"Oh my god!" She exclaims excitedly. "That's _great_ , Pol!"

"I know right? I just got off the phone with a new, very generous investor who is extremely interested in some of our products and... well, the only thing is that... the stores may actually _not_ be stores-"

"Wait, _what?_ "

" _-and_ they may be a bit more outside the city than we first intended but that's what we wanted, isn't it?" Her friend rambles. "Expand and make a name to be recognized a little everywhere. And this is our chance, Pipes. Trust me."

Once Piper catches up with everything her friend just told her, she is filled with doubts.

But to that latest statement, she doesn't have any.

She _does_ trust Polly but the question remains.

"What do you mean with _the stores may not be actual stores_?"

"Oh yeah, right... that's one of the _two things_..." As her partner's voice trails off, an unexpected expression, something that looks in between a grimace and an apologetic look shapes her features, instantly getting an even firmer grasp on Piper's attention.

"What _is it,_ Polly?" She asks standing from the chair and bracing herself for the blow that is most likely going to come.

"The investor I spoke with owns a few hotels and spas that are finishing construction and that are going to open in a couple of months." Polly informs her. "She already had the whole products lines ready, but the company that developed them has been forced to close for using substances not allowed and... well, when she heard about us and about our exclusively organic brand she called me."

 _Oh..._

Piper had already understood even before her partner finishes what kind of deal Polly must have discussed with this potential new client.

They have already done it before. Not with hotels, but with massage parlors all over the city, some hair stylists too, and... Polly is right.

If this is the case, make a deal with a brand new hotel/spa chain is going to make their name _largely_ known rather quickly.

The only _other_ thing that her partner hasn't mentioned yet could only be...

"How distant from the city are we talking about exactly, Polly?" Piper asks, anticipating her best friend's "bad" news with dread, because they haven't had luck with hotels here in the city, and as far as she knows there aren't any in construction at the moment.

That look that she has seen on Polly's face a minute ago returns. A shaky smile of sorts that is slightly preoccupied but also undeniably thrilled even though it still holds that apologetic tilt. And upon seeing it, Piper instantly knows that her assumption was correct.

She just hopes that her wild guess about _where_ their all-natural products may be seen with such huge interest from a public _obsessed_ with an extremely healthy lifestyle, is wrong.

But... _she isn't._ And for the first time _ever_ she hates a little being _so_ painfully right.

"Uh, like..." Her friend clears her throat, shifting just as awkwardly on the spot before answering through a little wince. "Two thousand miles, give or take?"

Piper feels her heart, still thrumming with excitement at the news, comes to a screeching halt before dropping heavily in her stomach in the instant she gets her suspicions confirmed.

"As in... across the country?" She still asks, just to double check, dreading the answer.

"As in Los Angeles," Polly confirms with a nod.

And there it is.

"Yep," Her friend sighs in front of her incredulous wide-eyed look. "If we accept the deal, until things get settled, for a time, one of us will have to move to California, baby girl."

Her partner, her best friend may be saying that, but there is no _"one of us"._

It's clearly _her._

Polly has a baby here and... a crumbling marriage that she is trying to salvage single-handedly.

Piper, however... Well, _she..._

This is what _she hoped._

One of the major goals that she had set for her small little company and never thought she would be able to reach one day, and now... Here is their chance.

She might be a little shocked, but she is also undeniably enthusiastic and proud.

Although... under the happiness for this wonderful news, she can feel something else.

The same emotion blossoming within her at the thought of long dark hair, enchanting, deeply expressive emerald eyes and a smile that never fails to tug at her heartstrings.

"We still need to go over all the details and discuss a possible strategy with the marketing team," She hears Polly's voice ring out from where her thoughts have dragged her away (not two thousand miles away though, but rather... somewhere across the city) blinking to regain focus and glancing up only to find a curious, knowing, soft little smile gracing her friend's lips, as if she knows something, or rather... she might have _realized_ something that Piper must have given away without doing anything or saying a single word.

"So don't worry," Her friend assures her but Piper is far too baffled to say anything. "We still have plenty of time to decide, Pipes."

* * *

 **You didn't expect the "office-quickie" did you? :D I guess that this chapter has answered to the "concern" that a few of you guys had about things getting "vanilla" after the feelings-mush-festival that was the previous chapter, uh? Well, here's your answer! The feelings are well above the surface now. But not quite out in the open... yet :P Anyway, I should probably mention that, as someone might have already guessed, we are kind of approaching the end of this story guys. Yep... Just some things left to settle. Like Alex dealing with _that_ "something" she mentioned, and Piper now possibly having to choose between business or pleasure. ****Decisions decisions... :P**


	19. Chapter 19

Hi everyone!

Wow, I'm so, _so_ happy that you have enjoyed the previous chapter so much! And it makes me even gladder that I'd decided to take an extra day (or two) to fix a few things here and there before posting it :) Thank you all so much for all of your kindness and your lovely words guys! :D

Here's the new chapter for you :) And since I enjoy taking you by surprise, I won't summarize anything, especially now that (as I have already anticipated to you in the previous chapter) we are nearing the end of this story...

Just...

Enjoy

* * *

The dream loses focus far too quickly. Getting blurred around the edges as she gets slowly stirred awake, but the sense of contentment and relief and warmth that she has found in it, clings onto her. Curling her lips into a smile. Making the journey back into the real, wakeful world much more bearable, even though she still refuses to let go of that thin thread just yet.

She is tempted to follow its trail back into that vast, infinite realm and she almost does, captivated by the idea to find out where it leads her back to, when suddenly. another feeling coaxes her more towards wakefulness, rendering her more aware of the muffled sound of traffic coming from the streets below, muted by the windows from which also the first rays of a timid sun filter through, caressing gently the side of her face; not quite warming her skin, but seeing the light through her eyelids renders her that tiny bit more alert. Enough to sense the dip on the mattress behind her followed by the delightful feather-light touch of lips brushing up the curve of her neck from where her worn t-shirt has left her shoulder exposed.

The smile on her lips widens and she hums (almost _purrs,_ actually) softly, a bit huskily - with her voice still raw and heavy with sleep as it is - and then chuckling just as roughly when the tip of a nose and a few strands of hair tickle a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.

But... it's also then, as those lips get closer to her jaw and that presence gets nearer that something strikes her as... odd. _Unusual_. Catching her abruptly off guard.

An unexpected element seeps in between this moment and the remnants of that fading dream, disrupting it.

A delicate flowery sweetness tickles her nose, making her eyebrows knit into a twitched frown.

Because the trail of that scent might be familiar to her, but it doesn't quite _belong_ with the place from which she is still reluctantly emerging.

It doesn't match with that soft note of bergamot laced with that other more aromatic essence (which tiniest whiff always manages to make the beating muscle in her chest stumble out of its rhythm) or with a smooth voice and an equally delightful, suave laugh. Or... with the limpid blue of a cloudless spring sky.

She blinks her eyes open, narrowing them to adjust to the brightness of the gray-blue morning light before turning around, and when she does, her heart kind of skips a beat, and her stomach does clench on itself in a sudden twist, although... not in that way that knocks the breath out of her lungs, creating that hollow, pleasant vacuum-like feeling in her belly; a sensation she has only recently discovered but one that she has also already gotten used to rather quickly.

The feeling that hits her right now is far different, and the harshness in it is what renders her suddenly far too awake, sundering her from the cozy cradle of a dream that - all of a sudden - she can't quite recall, and throwing her into the sharp reality in the instant her gaze fixes on a sight she wasn't quite expecting to be met with first thing when she woke up.

...and also one that she might have been _avoiding_ for a few days actually.

"Good morning, hot stuff."

Sylvia, on her part - totally unaware of the pang of guilt that instantly twists and churns in the pit of her stomach - smiles down at her wide and bright, with that glint of mischief and a drop of honest amusement shimmering into her silver eyes upon seeing her startle under the covers like she just did.

"Sylvia," Alex rasps her name, blinking a few times to adjust her blurred vision and get accustomed to the light. "What..." Her voice trails off in an unfinished, yet obvious questions as she takes in the full sight before her.

The redhead is sitting on the edge of her bed on one bend leg, towel-drying the tips of her long red hair, and... uneasiness and profound confusion don't even _begin_ to explain what Alex feels upon seeing her like this, because, unless she is hallucinating (or having another much more realistic dream) she definitely remembers getting home late last night after closing up the club and slipping into bed. _Alone_.

The confusion must be tugging so heavily at her features under her sleepiness because she doesn't even get the chance to finish her question that Sylvia, seeing through her puzzlement and drop of alarm, promptly jumps into explanations.

"I'm sorry," The redhead apologizes with a little grimace. "I hope you don't mind that I've let myself in. I just got problems with the boiler at my place and I needed a warm shower before going to work," She explains, and upon hearing that, Alex actually releases a breath of relief.

 _Good._

Even her heart slows down to a more acceptable rhythm once she has the confirmation that she wasn't wrong about how things went down last night.

"But don't worry," The redhead continues, pulling her out from her dissipating worries. "I didn't come empty handed." She reassures, throwing her a seductive little wink. "I brought you a coffee and some breakfast for the trouble."

Being still half asleep, however, doesn't render Alex any less numb to feel like a complete _asshole_ when she hears about the thoughtfulness of such an unexpected gesture.

"Oh, I..." For once, she _truly_ doesn't know what to say, which is unsettling, almost as much as the feeling gnawing at her from the inside as she reluctantly lets go of the last bits of sleep that she has been clinging onto in order to emerge completely into this less-than-appealing reality.

"It's okay, no worries." She reassures her at last, scooting higher up on the bed and leaning against the headboard. "And uh, thank you, for... the coffee. But you didn't need to. It's... it's no trouble, really." She concludes, softly clearing her throat in an attempt to get rid of that raspiness.

Sylvia tilts her head to the side, silver eyes narrowing through an entertained smile adorned with a dash of puzzlement in front of the uncharacteristically cringe-worthy awkwardness held in her response. A look that only grows more amused when Alex distractly grabs the duvet and blankets to... cover herself up a bit more, as if shielding herself from something that - no matter how attentive Sylvia is - she wouldn't be able to see.

"You feeling _shy_ this morning, gorgeous?"

Still, the redhead is quite able to catch her... unusual behavior, even if she teases her about it, leaving Alex to stumble over an excuse.

"W-what? No, _I just..._ "

It's beyond embarrassing.

She has never, _ever_ stuttered over anything in her life, or in front of a beautiful woman, and, luckily, she doesn't have to come up with anything specific, because Sylvia jumps in before she has a chance to even think about a possible... _pretext._

"Because I have, like..." The redhead briefly glances down at her wrist to check her watch. "- _half an hour_ or so before I need to get to work and..." And there it is. That tilt of mischief widening into that far more seductive and _explicit_ smirk, even though, Alex already has an idea about where she was going with _that_ without actually having to see it. "...You _do_ look pretty inviting over there, even under all of that heap of very flammable cotton-polyester blend." Sylvia comments gesturing to her comforter and upon hearing what might be one of the most absurd and humorous attempts for a flirt that Alex has _ever_ heard, she simply can't do anything for the laugh that scratches its way up her throat and slips past her lips.

It's... _easy._

And that's what has been so comforting about this... _affair_ with Sylvia.

But then, when she sees that the smile stretching on Sylvia's lips - in hearing the husky chuckle that she has elicited - melts into a softer smile, Alex instantly feels it again.

That spiky _thing_ in her stomach. Growing big enough to poke at her from the inside and remind her how much of an asshole she is knowing the conversation that she has been meaning to have with the redhead (and might have deliberately delayed out of cowardice) for the past several days.

She swallows. But that's hardly enough to get rid of that stubborn, thorny knot of guilt crawling its way up and into her chest.

And so, she diverts her gaze, unable to meet those sparkling grey eyes, or look at that soft, adoring smile, clearing her throat and turning around to retrieve her glasses from the nightstand.

"Actually, uh..." She puts them on, and for the first time she hates the clear, limpid reality that her lenses provide. There are no blurred edges here.

Reality has none of the safeness and comfort of her dream that is now starting to feel more like a very recent memory of her body intertwined with another warm, soft one that she has thoroughly explored and felt fitting so perfectly against her own to make perfection itself envious.

"I'm getting up." She states, tearing herself away from those dangerous thoughts. From blonde hair, blue eyes and a dimpled smile that makes her feels... a lot of _things_. All cramped up in her chest.

"I have a few things I need to do today." She informs the redhead apologetically, hoping that she won't notice too much the fact that never before she has turned down sex.

It's a lame excuse, sure, but... it's not even an _actual_ excuse, really.

Although it still earns her a tilt of confusion from Sylvia, who promptly asks her for confirmation if, "Isn't today your day off?"

Alex nods as she slips out from the covers, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and taking a moment before standing and stretching her back, wincing slightly when a few of her joints pop.

"Yes, it is." She answers at last before heading for her closet, sliding open the doors, sorting through her clothes for something warm given the thick shades of gray that are layering the sky, and the wind making the branches of the almost-naked trees sway not-so-gently.

It looks like it could snow.

"Which means that it's the only day I have to run the weekly errands I have without worrying about having to get to the club." She informs the redhead, realizing that that's the first open truth that she has said since she woke up. And also the first thing that doesn't make her feel like an asshole because of the honesty that it holds.

"What if your partner needs some backup?" Sylvia asks her, that note of playfulness is still there in her voice though, making Alex's lips twitch into a little, almost unconscious smile at the mention of her partner.

"I'll give her a call later and ask her if she needs me to swing by." She answers, selecting a soft sweater and a pair of jeans. "But I'm sure she'll be able to direct the crew without risking a mutiny."

With that quip she slides shut the closet doors, turning around only to find herself face to face with Sylvia.

It's quite difficult to sneak up on her. She never gets caught unprepared, but she tries to pin her distraction on the currently messy emotional state she is inwardly struggling with.

"You seems a bit _squirmy_ today." The redhead points out, sounding more concerned than suspicious, and _that_ doesn't help Alex _one bit_ in feeling less like a jerk, especially when Sylvia seems to pick up her nervousness and, letting her voice drop into something soft and oddly soothing, asks her if "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," Alex instantly dismisses, flashing her a smile that is (apparently) surprisingly far more convincing than she was afraid it wouldn't be. "I'm just a bit dazed." She admits, which is not a lie at all considering that some parts of her are still clinging to a whole other realm. "I've probably slept too much. That's all."

 _That,_ however, _is a lie_. But the bits of truth scattered in her response and the smile twitching on her lips, for how feeble, seem to be more than enough to convince Sylvia, who smiles back at her. _Smirk_ , actually.

"I guess I should have woken you up _before_ jumping in the shower," She chastises. "Maybe that scenario would have been more persuasive in getting you to _join me._ "

An image like that one (until not so long ago) would have definitely appealed Alex.

Right now, however... The thought makes her deeply, startling _uncomfortable_.

"Well... I guess I'll leave you to get ready for the day then." When she hears Sylvia say that, looking very intent to just leave her going through her late-morning routine, flashing her one last smile before turning around and heading for the bedroom door, the inner debate that Alex has been having for the past several days is brought to an end, when she forces herself to just-

"Sylvia _wait..._ "

There.

She could dismiss it, but...

 _No._

She has delayed this long enough.

She halts the redhead, taking in a much needed deep breath before bravely meeting Sylvia's gaze. Far too aware of the way her stomach clenches uncomfortably with the same jitters that make her hands suddenly twitchy once those silver eyes lock with hers. _Patiently._

"Have you reconsidered my proposition?" The redhead asks then, briefly eyeing the bed with obviousness and wiggling her eyebrows for good measure, and once again, Alex can't do anything for the chuckle that bubbles up in her chest in front of that familiar, enthusiastic mischief.

"It does sound inviting..." She admits in all honesty. But... no matter how hard she tries, it's not something she can currently picture.

Not without a certain blonde as the only other participant in such activity, which makes what she is about to say next a bit easier.

Not much though, because Sylvia was a friend before they tried to make... whatever it is this thing they have been trying to do - work. And she is not going to take any kind of pleasure in hurting a friend. If they are still going to consider each other as such once this whole thing will be settled.

"I've been meaning to..." Alex starts only to pause, shaking her head and setting her clothes on the bed before starting over. "I was hoping to talk to you about... something." Clarity is an aspect she relies on both in her profession and personal life, and she just _hates, so much_ being vague but... She can't just do it right here, right now. "Do you think you might have some time later? After work?"

Maybe it is her tone, or the general note of urgency in her voice that catches entirely Sylvia's attention all at once.

"You sound serious." The redhead observes, expression shifting from carefree and playful and mischievous, to match the earnestness of her own.

"It's... kind of important, yeah." Is what Alex settles for at last with a nod, struggling to swallow down that spiky feeling that keeps crawling up from her chest. "I was thinking that I could pick you up after your turn and we could... _talk,_ in front of a cup of coffee maybe?"

 _Dear god..._

She is pretty sure that she has _never_ sounded or looked as awkward in her life as she does right now.

She just has _no_ idea about how to do this. About _how_ she _should_ do this.

But she doubts that there is a right or a wrong way that will make things easier. Painless.

She can just do her best to make it... nice and... _friendly,_ all while being honest but not too direct about the reasons why.

Because, even though they haven't put a name on things or anything, and the whole thing started as casual (and was supposed to remain that way) Sylvia has been good with her.

Patient and... _deeply_ understanding. Never putting her under any kind of pressure.

And... And Alex feels like she owns her a good explanation.

However, given the glint that she immediately sees shimmering into those silver eyes at the mention of _properly talking_ in front of a coffee, she realizes that her intentions about all of this might have been read under the wrong light already.

"Sure," Sylvia accepts, visibly struggling to hold back her bubbling excitement. "Of course. I'll... see you later then."

And even though Alex is proud of having finally decided to do this (or at the very least taken the first step) the weight on her shoulders only seems to double when, before turning around to leave, Sylvia gives her _that smile._

It lits up her face and makes her silver eyes sparkle with... _hope._

Leaving Alex feeling like total _crap._

 **. . .**

The ice skating rink is not as crowded with people as Piper was afraid it would be. But that's probably because of the snow and all the little inconvenience that its delicate and elegant white mantle is creating as it lays comfortably down on every surface, flake after flake. Causing the city to grind to a halt. Although, for those who aren't currently stuck into traffic, the scenery is... pretty _magical_ , really. Quite suggestive.

Especially here, right in the middle of a city so frenetic, it gives the illusion of rendering it that tiny bit quieter.

The sky is surprisingly clear too, even if dark, layered by stripes of blue that grow less dense towards the horizon - or as much of the horizon is visible from here in this part of the park without the buildings getting in the way.

It's a beautiful evening nonetheless, sparkling with lights, oozing with that contagious air of festivity, which renders this just the _perfect_ occasion to get into the season's spirit with one of the most traditional activities.

"This is stupid."

Polly, however, seems to largely object and disagree with her view.

"Oh, come on Pol," But she is still resolute to make this occasion enjoyable, especially for her grumpy friend. "It's seasonal!" She exclaims with the same excited dimpled grin that has been there on her face for longer than it probably should have during the past several days.

"You know what else is seasonal?" Her best friend grumbles in response to that, burrowing deeper into her scarf and coat, seeking refuge into the warmth of her clothes from the biting cold in between little shivers that she tries to dispel with tactical skips on the spot to get the blood flowing.

"Eggnog." She moans at last. "With some of that fancy, spiced rum that you have imported only to keep locked up in a dusty cabinet at home. A warm bucket of it right about now would be wonderful." She sighs, a sound that melts into a deep, chesty groan when she glances towards the outdoor bar just beside the rink and where a few skaters are taking a break and enjoying a steamy cup of hot chocolate, sitting under the patio heaters. It looks... quite cozy.

Tempting even.

But to Piper not as much as the idea of getting in the rink.

"A hot tub filled with it would be most ideal actually," Her friend continues, dreamily. "So I could have the chance to dip right into it." As always, she exaggerates. "Seriously, I think my ass actually froze. Like _literally._ I can't _feel it._."

To emphasize that point, Polly punches her own backside, squeezing one cheek and then the other to make the blood flow, and it's just too much of an absurd scene not to give into the humor bubbling inside her chest and burst out laughing, especially when a few of the people waiting in line before them turn to look at her.

Polly remains oblivious to the stares and just shoots _her_ a glare when Piper teases her by saying, "Well, it's still there, trust me. And stop being so dramatic." She also scolds, even though there isn't much bite in that reprimand to really have the desired effect. She is far too excited right now to get affected by Polly's grumpiness. "Just a couple of more minutes and we are going to warm up with some cardio." She tells her friend.

" _Ugh._ You said that like _ten minutes ago,_ Piper." Polly rightfully points out with a groan before glancing down the line of people waiting in front of them to get to the box office to pay for the ticket and retrieve the skates. "What's the hold up anyway?"

Piper sighs, rolling her eyes affectionately as she once again gets into explaining to her friend (in an attempt to placate her relentlessness) that "They make turns Polly, but I promise... It _will_ be worth it. Besides..." She adds in afterthought when she glances towards the rink and sees a little girl stepping in, clearly for the first time judging from the way she clutches tightly onto her mom's hands to keep steady. She smiles.

"If you have never done it, you _must_ absolutely learn how to ice skate, so when Finn will be old enough you can bring him here and teach him. He'll have a lot of fun."

Presenting such a compelling argument succeeds in bringing to an end her friend's endless whining, who just rolls her eyes and groans in defeat. "Fine. But if I fall and shatter the ice cube that my ass has become you are helping me pick up the pieces, miss."

Piper can't help but laugh at that image. "Deal." She agrees then, and even though her laughter might fade into softer chuckles, her smile... well... That one is still there. Remaining cozily and easily curled upon her lips. As well as that other thing- that warm little flame that has kept her company for these past few days and that warms her up from the inside, from that comfy little space where it's nestled in her chest, rendering her almost invulnerable to the gnawing of the harsh cold.

Without Polly and her complains it's easy to space out for a few minutes, watching the people spin around the rink but not quite _seeing_. Far too caught in her own thoughts that these days are filled (even more than usual) with the presence of a certain someone she has been waiting a call from.

Her phone feels hot and heavy in her pocket.

She twists it around in her hand but doesn't pull it out to check if she might have missed a call or a message.

Right now she really _can't._

Not with Polly right there, ready to bury her under an avalanche of questions she really couldn't answer right now even if she wanted to.

It's the thought of her best friend that brings her back into this time and space (where they are still waiting at a seemingly unmoving line) suddenly becoming aware of the odd silence Polly seems to have fallen into.

The lack of any further argument or complaining about this idea that she's had (or some inappropriate comment said just to kill time) as well as the subtle sensation of being... _observed_ , is what makes her turn back to her business partner at last, only to find her there, indeed _staring at her_ , just as she suspected.

Arms crossed over her chest, brow furrowed as she... appreases her closely with a rather _curious_ kind of look.

"What?" Piper asks, suddenly feeling as if she has been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. Like... trying to hide her smile into her scarf to not give away her perpetually buzzing contentment.

A task at which apparently she hasn't succeeded.

"You know, you have been particularly chirpy these days..." Her friend comments, and she may even be able to hold her expression to match with the hint of puzzlement held in that statement, but Piper (who may startle a little upon hearing that) can easily see it hiding under that suspicious, deceiving frown. Twitching ever so slightly on her friend's pursed lips. And... _glittering_ into her dark chocolate eyes.

It's definitely _there._

The hint of a teasing, knowing little _smirk_ threatening to break through.

"Anything you would like to share, baby girl?"

Piper may not be a master in hiding her feelings very well without giving away _something._ Least of all from her best friend.

Nonetheless, she is deeply grateful for the fact that it's _so cold_ right now that, in case her partner would notice, she could easily pin the flush warming her cheekbones on the weather. Not that Polly would _ever_ believe her. Of course not. Not even for a second. But she can still do an amazing job in "pretending". And that's something she has her messy family to thank for.

Coming up with an excuse that isn't related to the reason why she has - indeed - been more cheerful these past few days and that might have something ( _everything_ ) to do with the vast array of emotions that have nestled in her chest causing her heart to flutter and stumble all over itself at the mere thought of long dark hair, alabaster skin, a mischievous smile and a pair of stunning, extremely expressive emeralds... turns out to be exceptionally easy.

"It's just... the festivities!" She justifies, generally gesturing around the park - which could very well depict a Christmas card - shrugging, attempting (and failing) for nonchalance. "You know how much I love this period of the year, Pol."

The excuse is quite believable on its own, because it's no secret how much she enjoys the holidays. Although... she could have _definitely_ done a much better job in delivering that response in a more... _convincing way._

She smothers the wince that she can feel twitching on her features because of that half-lie (and the way it makes her feel throwing it right at Polly's face) and replaces it with a smile.

It's a bit forced. And, of course, her very attentive best friend sees right through it.

"Right..." Polly drawls, her eyes narrowing further (and glinting a bit brighter with growing suspicion). " _The festivities._ " She repeats, sounding not _one bit_ convinced by such a poor explanation. "They sure can get you quite a bit excited, _can they?_ "

And there it is.

That teasing smirk finally breaking through.

And Piper honestly doesn't even know how to react in front of it.

Pretend that her partner isn't clearly _implying_ what she _knows_ she is, sounds... kind of tempting actually because she definitely knows that _this, right now_ , is _not_ the place where she should get into something _so_ personal.

It's far too... well, _public._

However... Keeping this whole aspect of her life from her friend- her very best friend who she thinks of as her sister - is not something she intends to do forever. But she doesn't feel so comfortable in sharing what could possibly be happening between her and Alex. _Yet._ Especially considering how... _unstable_ Polly's personal, romantic life is at the moment.

Piper gnaws at her bottom lip, pensively, contemplating her options, which Polly promptly interprets as reluctance, and brings her to try with another, much more straightforward tactic.

Her eyes lit up with an idea and Piper knows it can't be _anything_ good when she leans closer and, with that smirking widening into something far more devious, she whispers, "Did you get the chance to test the _effectiveness_ of our potential new product with _your Mistress_ yet?"

Piper can actually feel _it._

As it springs from the depth of her belly and races upwards. That flame of embarrassment and bashfulness.

Engulfing her entire face (and the tip of her ears under her beanie) which goes instantly bright red.

" _Polly!_ " She doesn't even know why her defensive mechanism has her half-sputtering and half-hissing her best friend's name in such a _scandalous_ way and look around to see if anyone heard her, truly. Because it's not like Polly has taken the chance to say something _inappropriate_. In fact - strangely enough - it was alarmingly implicit at the exception of that stressed _"your Mistress"_ bit, which is also the part that has succeeded (by itself) in eliciting the reaction that her business partner was obviously aiming for. Getting her _all_ flustered.

"What?" Her friend asks, feign innocent while grinning smugly, _victoriously._ "I didn't say anything. Because it's not like I _know_ anything after all. Do I?"

Polly might be teasing her, but even though it's much more difficult to spot on her expression, Piper clearly hears it, with much more ease, even under that first layer of playfulness: The feeble, almost imperceptible note of hurt seeping into that question and what was supposed to be only a "pretended-hurt" clarification.

She feels is immediately.

Rough and spiky.

Poking at her from behind her sternum, scratchy, itchy. Just... uncomfortable. It leaves her squirming.

Like the idea of wearing a soaked pair of wool pants.

And what is worse is that Polly has all the rights to be... subtly _upset_ about her reticence.

Because they have _always_ openly talked about _everything_ that was going on in their lives. The good _and_ the bad.

And yet, somehow, Piper can't quite bring herself to share this latest development in her... personal, private life with her best friend.

 _Something_ holds her back.

And she can't help but wonder if maybe it's the same thing that prevents her from thinking (or at the very least not to linger for too long) on the expression " _romantic life_ ".

It's... deeply frustrating. But even though she would like to understand better _what_ it is that makes her feel that way exactly, the need to reassure her best friend becomes a priority.

"I don't mean to be so... _secretive,_ Pol," It's what she settles for at last, and the apology in her voice at least brings Polly to lift her gaze from where it had dropped on her boots and the snow covering them, to meet hers and... in front of the visible guilt that Piper is simply unable to mask, her friend's expression slowly melts into something softer, edged with an apology of her own and also with what looks a bit like reassurance. Perhaps even _understanding._

"I'm going to tell you," Piper promises definitively before growing pensive all over again as she considers _how_ she is going to explain such thing to her best friend. "It's just..."

Her voice trails off, swallowed by the rest of the noises surrounding them. She sighs, glancing away as if looking around the park for the words that she needs in order to phrase this right and not with that overly abused, groan-worthy _"it's complicated"_ cliché. Even though... she has to admit that it kind of feels quite adapt to describe how things are with Alex at the moment.

Some sort of limbo.

Where she finds herself wondering if _the talk_ that she will have with the raven-haired woman will clear up all of that _ambiguity_ and make things easier.

Like... the couples skating hand-in-hand in the rink, where her gaze drifts to.

Or those walking along the path of the park behind the trees.

Or even those simply sitting by on the benches or at the tables of the outdoor bar, enjoying a warm drink under the slow snowfall and the patio heaters.

Her heart flutters, and she smiles at such a picturesque image. Because it's a scenario she can easily picture herself into it with Alex by her side. So easily in fact that it's effortless.

 _Alex..._

Her smile twitches that tiny bit higher.

The more she thinks about the raven-haired, green-eyed woman, the more her presence lately seems to condense into something less abstract and much more _tangible_ than the simple warmth flickering in her chest at the thought of her.

Even right now her presence seems to magically project right out from her mind and into the present when - among the people gathered at the bar - she sees a tall, slender woman with long dark hair peeking out from under a beanie _and..._

Her heart stutters when she notices the next, incredibly familiar detail.

 _...wearing glasses._

She frowns.

Taking in that characteristical posture, in that _proud stance._

The kind that she has seen fit so flawlessly only on _one person_ in her life with such elegance and without any trace of pompousness or arrogance.

"Fine, don't mind me." Piper barely hears her friend groan in annoyance for her prolonged silence. "Leave me here hanging as I wait at an endless line that will get me bruises on my ass to last for the entire holidays."

Slowly everything around her turns into a muted, dull, indistinct buzzing noise. Almost as if she's hearing the world from deep underwater.

She might have inwardly joked about the fact that it was only a matter of time before the raven-haired woman that has conquered her thoughts - and whose persuasive nature has reached so deep inside of her to get a hold of her very heartbeat - would make an appearance. Directly projected out from those thoughts and into the tangible reality.

To actually _see her_ , however...

At first, she thinks that she might just be seeing things. But then, as she looks more closely and attentively... There is no mistaking it.

 _There she is..._

She couldn't mistake her for _anyone._

Her heart leaps in her chest with elation and her lips stretch into an even wider smile at the realization that it's _really her._ That she is actually _here._

However, before she can figure out if she should step out of the line and abandon her still grumbling friend to go say hi (not to mention feeling a bit torn - and perhaps a bit paranoid too - as she ponders over the thought if it would be appropriate approaching her given that she hasn't heard from the raven-haired woman since that morning in her office and that they still have to properly talk about things) she watches as Alex steps away from the bar counter and heads for one of the most secluded tables, away from where the main clientele is sitting at the front, facing the rink, and...

And it's in that moment that Piper notices that she is actually holding _two_ coffee cups.

Something... _odd,_ stirs inside of her upon realizing that she is apparently here with someone. Like... a presentiment of sorts. Which is such a _ridiculous_ sensation that has _no_ reason to be there at all - pressing down on her chest like it does - and a feeling that she also tries to dismiss but that actually settles a bit more heavily when she sees her reaching a table where another woman - an _attractive redhead_ \- is sitting, waiting and...

And whose face positively _lights up_ when she sees Alex approaching.

And just like that, whatever effort Piper may have put in trying to dismiss that previous feeling, seems to have been completely in vain as it returns with a vengeance.

Because she remembers, _exceptionally well,_ the way those women at the club looked at Alex. Some with quieter glances. Others with shy smiles and fleeting looks. While a few gazed at her with a more open, and particularly _crude_ appreciation.

 _This,_ however, the way that woman looks at her, _is neither._

As Alex sits down, right across (yet still very close given the small tables) to the redhead, the way the latter smiles back at her, fully, with her eyes crinkling a bit at the corners when Alex hands her over her steamy coffee cup, it's with... something else _entirely._

And even though Piper is not quite able to get a very good look at Alex's expression given her current position, she can definitely recognize the redhead's for what it is, even from the fair distance where she is standing.

She spots it with ease.

The softness of affection in the gentle curl of her lips.

That glint of _adoration_ shimmering in her eyes.

Sprinkled with... _something more._

That same unnamed _thing_ that Piper still hasn't allowed herself to fully acknowledge and that right now, upon seeing it on this woman and addressed to Alex so openly makes the entire world slow down until it halts, with her next heartbeat slamming painfully against her ribcage.

Something cracks at that forceful impact.

And when she sees that woman reaching out to take Alex's hand in hers, and Alex _allowing it_ , that same something _shatters._

And it feels a lot like her hopes.

Because, in its simplicity, the gesture holds a certain intimacy.

In a way that throws whatever thought Piper had been hopefully clinging onto about friendship - out of the realm of possibilities.

And when that realization hits her, it's merciless. Cutting through her skin like butter and piercing right into her chest.

An ugly, awful feeling.

Heavy and sharp-edged. Like a cracked stone.

She diverts her gaze, blinking for the first time in what seem to have been entire minutes, but knowing that that's not the reason why she feels the sting on tears in her eyes and that heavy, double knot stuck between her chest and throat, preventing her from even breathing.

"Piper?" The voice is distant, but even under the pounding of her limping, wounded heart in her ears, she recognizes it as Polly's.

"Hey, you okay there?" The rest of the world soon gets once again registered by the rest of her senses. Overwhelming her with its loudness. Spinning too fast. Like a carousel out of control, making her dizzy and sick to the stomach.

The fluttery, vacuum-like feeling that she has first felt there in her belly upon seeing Alex, has now been replaced by what feels like the merciful uppercut landed by a boxer.

It knocks the air out from her lungs, but even with that crippling feeling and the tears threatening to choke her with the effort she is putting to hold them back, rendering the knot stuck in her throat tighter and tighter - she still manages to grab her best friend by the arm and utter a surprisingly firm, slightly breathless, yet icy cold "Let's go."

It's not a suggestion.

It's a command.

"What? _Ow!_ Piper wait!" One that she doesn't wait for Polly to obey before tugging her friend out of the line. "Where the hell are you _going_?!"

As far away from here as possible.

She can't stay and risk Alex seeing her.

The world has already become far too little in the past minute, and she has _no_ intention to wait around until it will narrow down even further.

She doesn't answer Polly. She doesn't trust her voice not to crack this time if she would do speak more than two words.

And so, she just let her friend yell at her while she drags her away from where they have uselessly spent the past half an hour standing in a line. Feeling her own tears starting to leak from the corners of her eyes despite her best efforts to swallow them down, and freezing on her cheekbones against the sharp, cutting wind that unfortunately does absolutely _nothing_ to numb the white-hot pain throbbing in her chest.

She leaves the rink behind and doesn't dare to look back.

...totally unaware that if she would have stayed, or at least glanced back in a couple of minutes, she would have witnessed a pretty animated argument, and maybe even seen a furious redhead _slap_ a certain raven-haired woman before storming off.

She too, with a heart splintered by the sharp fragments of shattered hopes.

 **. . .**

"What. _The actual hell,_ Piper!" By the time she makes it into her apartment, she can no longer fight off the sting of the tears prickling in her eyes. And as the door of her loft clicks shut, leaving them in the far too quiet and empty apartment, Piper can also no longer ignore her best friend or the anger that has fully exploded in her voice.

"Would you mind tell me what _the fuck_ just happened? Why did you drag me away like that?!"

Still, Piper can't quite bring herself to speak. Or even turn around to face Polly, who, unexpectedly, releases a calming sigh, forcing herself to talk through a more acceptable and conciliatory tone.

"Look..." Her voice even softens in some resemblance of apology for all the shouting. "If this is because I whined for the line, I'm sorry. I wasn't serious. Well... okay maybe _I was._ " She confesses, truthfully. "Kind of. But I would have _waited!_ "

Piper tries. She _really does_. But her best efforts right now are hardly worthy of being considered as such.

Her shoulders begin to shake, and it's only a matter of moments until she can no longer fight it; the first, choked sob that cracks in her throat and slips from her lips. Audible enough - even though she tries to smother it against her hand - to be heard.

"Piper... Hey. What..." And just like that, her friend's voice loses the remains of the anger that has been there for the entire walk back to her apartment under the snowfall. Softening even further. While at the same time growing concerned and all the more confused. "What's going on?"

It might look like the same old cliché, but she just _hates_ being seen like this.

Vulnerable.

Broken.

Even from Polly, who promptly steps away from the door and strides across the entrance, reaching her where she has leaned against the kitchen island, gingerly resting a hand on her arm, turning her just enough to face her, and Piper is so far beyond crumbling right now that she just lets herself to be moved, until she finds herself face to face with her deeply concerned best friend.

Under the hot tears streaking down her cold cheeks, there is a self-reprimanding, self-pitying smile, because she should have known _better_ than end up in this situation.

"You wanted to know the reason why I've been so cheerful lately?" She asks her friend. deciding to bring up their earlier, mostly one-sided conversation, ready to throw everything out in the open because... it hardly matters anymore.

Judgment isn't going to hurt worst than the way her insides feel right now. All raw and bruised. As if someone had wrapped a barbed wire all around her most vital organs and _pulled_.

"It's because I've joined a sex club deluding myself that it was what _I needed_. To not get feelings involved. Thinking that having rules set as guidelines would have made it simple and helped in keeping things more professional," A choked laugh slips through her tears then, bitter and self-deprecating. "Only to break each one of them and fall for the owner in the process."

For the first time, uttering that truth out loud - differently from the comforting, liberating feeling that she has learned and experienced lately every time she'd admitted one - makes her feel _worse._

Stupid.

Careless.

And deeply _humiliated_ considering the scene that she has just witnessed at the park.

She feels like _such an idiot._

"Oh... _baby girl,_ " Upon hearing such confession Polly's entire expression melts into something soft and compassionate... right before twitching into a frown of mild confusion. "But what does this have to do with going off like that from-"

"She was _there._ " Piper blurts out, interrupting her.

There is a moment of silence then, filled with the same confusion knitting Polly's eyebrows.

"You mean... You saw her? As in _there_ at the _ice rink_?"

"Yeah," Another bitter, cracked chuckle slips from Piper's lips. "And... I thought that she- that _we_ -" She can't quite bring herself to say it, not even knowing what it _might be_ exactly.

She just shakes her head and decides to swallow the knot stuck in her throat in a stubborn attempt to get rid of its presence, _refusing_ to give in to the new tears stinging in her eyes and choking her up at the thought of what she saw, even though, doesn't matter how hard she tries, there is nothing she can do to fight that single tear that slides down her face, so cold with disappointment and hot all at once with humiliation. She wipes it away angrily before continuing. "...but she was there with... with _someone else_."

She hears Polly inhale deeply, and when she dares to glance up at her, Piper is met with the sight of her friend nodding at her, and given the understanding lacking of any surprise in her expression, then she probably had already guessed what has suddenly gotten her so... _upset_.

"Start from the beginning." Polly asks her, leading her to the couch.

And so Piper does.

She takes in a deep shuddered breath and tells her friend _everything,_ reliving every single moment that she has spent with Alex in the past couple of months, and what makes all of it worse, what manages to make her feel like total _crap_ above all the rest of contrasting emotions battling within her as she goes through every detail, there is the gnawing guilt for having held back _so much_ from her best friend. Being unable to offer her anything other than a poor _"I'm sorry"_ that feels far too insufficient, even if Polly dismisses it immediately as totally unnecessary.

By the end, after she has updated her friend on the latest developments, including what happened at the club during that special night (and also in her office a few days ago) she feels _exhausted_. _Drained_ from all energies. And she also feels like the biggest _sucker_ on the planet for having believed that Alex- that what she _said_ when she told her that she wanted _to talk_ , meant what _she thought_ \- and got herself _to believe_ what _she_ meant and...

 _No._

She'd rather not think about it and give any more fuel to that greedy, mocking, reprimanding, inner _"You should have know better"_ that is consuming her with shame.

The silence that follows as Polly properly absorbs everything she has just told her, is heavy, loaded with silent questions, and even though Piper had prepared herself for some of the most obvious ones, when her friend asks her "Why haven't you told me any of this before?", even though there is no accusation or the intention to make her feel worse, Piper does feel yet another pang of guilt in front of the look that she finds on Polly's face.

It's not quite hurt, but the confusion tugging at her features is so deep that it could easily mask that other emotion hiding underneath.

Piper diverts her gaze, unable to meet those soft, dark eyes and the sympathy in them. Sniffling and wiping at her tears and nose with the tissue that Polly gives her before answering.

"Because... with everything you have been through lately at home with Pete, I just... I didn't want to _rub in your face_ how good things were unexpectedly turning out for me." She confesses with all her honesty. And now that she has actually said that out loud, she realizes how _stupid_ clinging to such an excuse has been. A thought that even Polly seems to share even though without turning it into an argument and reprimand her.

"My romantic life might be dead, and yeah my marriage may be failing," Her friend admits and it's hard listening to how... _defeated,_ Polly sounds about it. As if she has already _accepted_ that.

It's not comforting at all, but... what she says next, and the firm, unyielding conviction behind it, _it is_. "But I'm _your friend_ , Piper. And if I knew you were struggling with something like this, of course I would have listened to you. _No matter what._ "

Piper knows that. She knows that her Polly's concern (hidden under a string of teasing quips and looks) has always been real. Since the very beginning. And despite the way she may have initially reacted when she first told her about her intention of joining the sex club, she knows that the last thing that Polly would have _ever_ done, was push her away.

She feels stupid for thinking it even if just a couple of times, out of uncertainty.

Still, she can't come up with anything more satisfying than a shrugged "I don't know why I held back."

But...

She instantly frowns.

Because that's just bullshit. And she realizes it as soon as that phrase leaves her lips.

"No..." She shakes her head, correcting her answer to get rid of the taste that such lie left in her mouth.

"No... That's not true." She admits, straightening up and lifting her gaze from where it has been fixed on her lap to meet her friend's dark eyes. "I didn't want to tell you anything about any of this because... deep down, I was afraid that..." It's still hard to admit it, though. But she pushes the words past that tight knot of fear stuck in her throat. "I was afraid that by stepping out from my comfort zone like you encouraged me to do, _something_ would have happened to make me regret the entire decision. And once Alex and I got... _closer,_ I didn't tell you because I was afraid that saying it would have... _jinxed it._ " She concludes through another bitter, self-deprecating laugh because the irony of the situation (and of her nonsense superstitiousness) certainly isn't lost on her. "It hardly seems to matter now anyway, doesn't it?"

"Piper..." That same softness that she has seen earlier on Polly's expression returns, accentuated by that dash of compassion and sympathy that brings Piper to divert her gaze once again.

Her shoulders shake with the efforts it takes her to hold back the wet, cracked sob that ends up slipping out anyway. "I'm _such an idiot,_ Pol."

"Hey, no you're not." Polly instantly chastises her, scooting closer and taking her in her arms, and Piper feels so exhausted right now that she just lets herself being pulled closer, taking comfort in that affectionate, sisterly embrace. "And _stop_ thinking that."

That, however, is almost all she can think of, as that scene - the image of Alex and that other woman holding hands, looking so cozy and intimate - plays in a loop, over and over in her head. Mocking her for her naivety.

It's only when her quiet, choked little sobs have subdued that Polly, still rubbing soothing circles on her back, speaks again, sounding a bit distant. Pensive. As if she has been pondering over some thoughts and possibilities that Piper hasn't dared herself to explore.

"Maybe you should talk to her, Pipes." To say that such suggestion catches her off guard, would be the hugest understatement ever. But before Piper can think about how to answer to that and ask her friend if she has _actually_ been listening to her for the past half an hour or just _pretending to,_ Polly seems to sense her emerging annoyance and continues, with an argumentative tone that gives her no choice but to listen. "From what you told me she mentioned that she wanted to talk to you about _options_. And if you _care_ about her..." Piper's re-emerging irritation instantly deflates upon hearing that.

Because it seems like her friend has been listening to her _very closely_ actually, and even though she instantly understands what Polly is clearly trying to do - and for how much a small part of her (the one that somehow is still intact) appreciates the thought - clinging onto a flimsy thread of hope only to risk that the weight of the possibilities held in those so-called "options" will _snap_ with her still hanging from it, leaving her with no choice but fall down with it, shattering her completely, is not in _her_ realm of options. And she has every intention to not allow herself to believe otherwise.

"No." She answers at last, firmly, shaking her head with conviction. "I can't. I just... _can't_ Polly." Once again, her eloquence is nowhere in sight. But her best friend seems to understand that what she means is that she can't bring herself to do it and let her thoughts drift back to Alex without re-interpreting every single gesture of tenderness and every smile that has been addressed to her, making her feel _so_ special under that _precious_ emerald gaze.

A long moment of silence follows, during which Polly observes her attentively. Seeing things that Piper is not willing to express and openly admit.

Then, her friend nods, keeping those questions for herself, and offering nothing more than a simple "Okay."

And Piper (far too tired to recognize it for what it is) simply dismisses the indulging tone in that answer, just like she decides to ignore the unconvincing, little, supposed-to-be-reassuring smile that she sees twitching on her friend's lips.

 **. . .**

The next day she feels numb.

Pretty much to anything, really.

It's like the world has slowed down to a halt, right under the dark shadows of the night, which is rendered all the more dramatic and real by the snowstorm that is currently putting the city through quite some difficulties. It really seems to match her mood.

Once she has emptied herself of all the tears and emotions, she feels hollow and cracked. Like an old, cold, wrecked building hunted by the howling ghosts made of the memories of what she thought- of what she had _deluded herself_ was something special and reciprocated.

She blames her naivety. The blindness that came with it and that hasn't allowed her to see through Alex's facade and what could possibly have been the motive that brought the raven-haired woman to act and lead her on the way she did.

Whatever the reasons might be, Piper is simply, officially _done_ playing her games.

She focuses on her work instead. Burying her self-pity (along with all of her other emotions, something that comes surprisingly easy) under the pile of contracts she has to review, and the endless list of calls and all of the other duties that her job includes.

And, surprisingly, it seems like nursing a broken heart renders her (contrary to what she was afraid of) quite productive.

She goes through the morning in her office as if nothing happened, meeting a client and making him sign a new contract she has been working on during the past week, even managing to save an extra five percent over the final deal. An occasion that, on its own, would have been reason enough to celebrate. But she is hardly in the mood for any of that.

Working distracts her from the cracked hollowness filling her inside, and going over her duties keeps her mind from wandering towards sparkling green eyes and a mischievous smile.

...and it also makes her forget about the _call_ that she was expecting from that certain someone.

She has just dismissed her assistant with instructions to book a flight for Los Angeles for this weekend to go meet and discuss business with this new possible client - and it's right when she is also finishing up an email addressed to all of her subordinates, that her phone starts ringing, and she almost (out of habit) doesn't even check the number before answering, but when she does (or rather when the suddenly uncooperative touchscreen _forces_ her to) and she reads who the caller is, whatever kind of balance she thought she had found during the morning is taken away with the boiling hot flush that rises from her stomach in a mix of anger and humiliation.

Two emotions that she would have never thought would ever been elicited in her (least of all _together_ ) at the thought of Alex.

And yet, here she is. With that heavy knot of awful emotions tightening even further and growing even hotter from where it stubbornly remains _stuck_ in that place between her chest and stomach, almost making her nauseous and leaving her palms sweaty.

She is not used to this.

Not even when she first started her business and still had to find her footing she has ever felt so dangerously, uncomfortably off balance and stripped naked from any certainty.

But she simply _refuses_ to feel like this. To _let Alex_ make her feel _like this_. No matter how deeply her grasp, her influence (or whatever it is that she has gotten such a strong hold of) seems to reach inside of her.

Right now, she is at work. This is where she feels most comfortable and in control. And so, after a quick inner debate, she straightens up on her chair, summoning as much of her composure as she can find, scraping it from around the edges of the hollowness inside of her, along with her resolution about facing this... situation.

She presses the answer icon with a shaky thumb before uncertainty can get the chance to take a firmer hold on her and make her change her mind, steadying her voice and answering as she normally would. With a simple, neutral "Hello?"

...only to find out that whatever control she thought she had summoned, is nothing but an illusion. And she realizes as much in the moment she hears that deep, sweetly husky voice.

 _"Hi Piper, it's Alex..."_

And it's just _not fair_ how easily this woman can strip her naked and make her waver like she instantly does by just _hearing_ Alex _saying her name._

Her heart, too, treacherous muscle, instantly erupts into a series of flutters. But with its current conditions, considering its cracked and bleeding, crippling state, it's the opposite of pleasant.

It actually _aches_.

As much as her stomach does when it clenches and twists on itself.

 _"I hope I'm not disturbing you, but..."_ Even with that feeling to get in the way she still hears it, though. That note of... uncharacteristic _nervousness_ in Alex's voice. _"I was wondering if we could meet, maybe this week, when you have some time from work."_

Piper, however, dismisses that tone and whatever it might mean. And it also takes her a really good amount of self-restraint not to burst into a fit of anger right there, but she wonders for how long she will be able to contain that liquid fire before it will start melting her insides.

It already starts leaking when she finally answers.

"Sure. How does the ice skating rink in the park sounds for you?" Biting sarcasm is not usually a resource she relies on and uses, but right now, considering how bitter she feels, well... It comes as a surprisingly easy and quite adapt alternative, she believes. "You know, the one where you bring all of your conquests." She even adds with nonchalance and she swears that she can actually _hear_ beside simply imagine the way Alex startles at that tricky question.

 _"I'm sorry, what?"_

She is not playing dumb. In fact, the raven-haired woman sounds genuinely surprised.

 _Good._

For once, for the _first_ time, Piper has an advantage point over her. But even though she hardly gloats about it given the current circumstances, she still draws a certain amount of power from it.

"I was there, Alex." She tells her at last, breaking cover from the sarcasm she was hiding behind and deciding to attack with a direct approach. "I saw you, yesterday, _with_ -" But she stops there. Because she can't quite bring herself to think about it, least of all _say it_. And for the second time in just the past few seconds, she can almost _hear_ the instant when realization strikes Alex. In the sharp moment of silence that follows right before the raven-haired woman answers, sounding undoubtedly startled and actually a bit tense, too.

 _"Piper, whatever you saw..."_ Yeah, _definitely tense_ and nervous, Piper thinks, considering the way Alex hurries to reassure her. _"It's_ not _what you think. I can explai-"_

And then, Piper actually bursts out _laughing_.

Because of _all the things_ that she expected to hear, that clichè phrase said by _everyone_ who has ever been caught, is _not_ what she expected Alex to come up with. Considering her charm and the kind of eloquence that she possesses it's just another aspect that disappoints Piper even more; the fact that Alex (apparently) doesn't even consider her _worthy_ of an acceptable, _believable_ excuse.

"Oh, I'm _sure_ you can," Piper answers, struggling to hold back the tears starting to rise from her throat and seep into her laugh, making her voice thicker and rougher. "I'm just _not interested_ in hearing what kind of excuse you have for leading me on like you did, or, even less, in knowing with _how many_ women you are currently playing this little game with."

 _"Game? What-"_ And here Piper truly has to admit it... Alex does _an exceptional job_ in sounding _appalled_ by such accusation before she attempts for a softer and calmer approach, trying to get at least her attention. _"Piper, please, just let me-"_

But Piper has already reached her limit.

She has had _enough_ of being toyed with by someone she thought she could trust. By someone she _has trusted_ with every fiber of her being in ways she has never trusted _anyone_ before.

" _No!_ " She practically shouts and the firmness and harshness of such response is what makes that thing, that tiny, fragile seal that had managed to hold back all of her emotion - _break._ Like a dam.

That flood crashes onto her mercilessly.

It's overwhelming.

And she has to take the following moment of absolute silence to pull it together, inhale a shuddered breath and get a hold of her voice before speaking again.

"I thought that you- I thought that _we_..." But she doesn't dare to elaborate. She can't bring herself to. And her cracked voice doesn't allow her to. Instead, she shakes her head with that same self-reprimand. _Idiot,_ she thinks to herself for the hundredth time.

"I should have known better. And that's my fault, too." She recognizes as her anger resurfaces above all the other emotions running loose inside of her, scorching everything else in its wake, whatever barrier that gets in its way. "Thinking that someone _like you_ would have been interested in _anything more_ than _just sex_ from me considering the kind of business that you _run._ "

The words rush out from her lips with all of her hurt and shame and humiliation and...

And she regrets _each one_ of them _immediately._

She doesn't even know what makes her say such a spiteful, obnoxious thing and offend Alex _like that_.

Not even the hurt corroding her from the inside is enough to justify those words that leave this awful, sour-bitter, _poisonous_ aftertaste in her mouth that distantly reminds her of bile and something spoiled.

Alex may have kept a pretty big something from her, but deep down, cornered in that place where hurt and anger haven't reached yet, Piper still refuses to believe that all of her thoughtfulness and kindness was _just_ an act.

It felt all too real.

And that's what hurts the most.

Well _that,_ and now also the thick, heavy silence that follows her despicable, _vile_ outburst.

For the first time ever, when Alex speaks again, her voice - that deep, sweetly husky voice that is usually just as expressive as her sparkling green eyes always are - sounds utterly _emotionless._

 _"I see..."_

No.

 _Not emotionless._

It's far worse.

 _"It seems like you have already made your ideas about what you think of me."_

 _Hurt._

With her head spinning as it is, caught in the vortex made of anger, regret and shame and a thousand of other feelings all crashing against each other, Piper isn't even given the chance to consider whether she should apologize, recognizing her awful mistake, and whether such an apology would actually be received as sincere given the tumult raging within her.

She hardly has the time to consider her options anyway.

An instant later there is a click.

And then the line goes dead.

And just when she thought that nothing could make her feel worse, Piper is instantly proven wrong.

She pulls away the phone from her ear and just stares at it. Unmoving. Eyes wide with dismay and unblinking. Already filling with tears she thought she had run out of the previous night.

Alex hurt her, sure. But if she hoped to find some kind of wicked comfort in hurting her back by being so _awful_ and saying all of those nasty things to her that she doesn't know from where they came from and that she _definitely_ didn't mean, well... clearly it didn't work.

She didn't even give her the chance to _speak._

What if she had an authentic justification for what she has witnessed yesterday?

What if _that_ was the _"something"_ that she mentioned and needed to take care of before they could speak about _their_ situation?

She _did call her,_ after all. Just like she _promised_ her she would.

And it's right then, when she realizes that she might have just ruined for good, definitively, irreparably what could have had the chance to blossom into something real, that tiny, flimsy hope that had somehow managed to remain intact and find refuge from the anger and hurt that had wrecked the rest of her, shatters as well.

Just like whatever was left of her heart.

* * *

 **Ah, Piper Chapman everyone... Doing/saying awful things that screw everything up, and that she ends up regretting in two seconds flat. So, you know... Pretty much close to the usual, lol :P Anyway, there was quite a bit of drama here, wasn't there? And I can practically hear the cheers for the Sylvia/Alex break up :P If only Piper hadn't jumped to conclusions, uh? Although... who knows. Maybe she (or Alex) will find a way to fix things...**


	20. Chapter 20

Hey there!

You guys were getting impatient already? :P So sorry for making you sad with the previous chapter but hey, as someone pointed out, it really wouldn't be a Vauseman story without at least a little bit some drama between these two, but don't fret ;)

Here's the new chapter for you! :D

Enjoy

* * *

The cut on her bottom lip is what bothers her more.

It stings.

And the fact that she, somehow, just seems to be unable to stop from sadistically gnawing at it, doesn't help one bit.

There is not much she can do to cover it up either.

Just like the blurred four-fingers imprint left on her cheek.

She could always try to mask that reddish-blue hue with some concealer. Although... she is not sure how that would work out with her fair complexion and her general impatience with this kind of things.

And so, at last, she decides to not bother with makeup and do nothing except prepare herself for the kind of teasing that she knows her best friend and business partner is definitely going to put her through once she'll see her in these conditions.

She might even have the fortune to slip into the club when Nicky is nowhere in sight, probably taking care of the new shipment of liquors, helping the delivery guy to unload the crates in the keg room, but, eventually, later in the evening her luck runs out, and things turn out just as she imagined they would when her business partner (about an hour later) enters the confines of her office, where she has found refuge among the dullness of bureaucracy that her job involves.

There is no knock. And that's how Alex instantly knows that it's her.

"You'll be pleased, Al," It's how Nicky greets her, distractedly. "I got us an additional discount for that new whiskey you ordered." When her partner enters, she has her head ducked and her eyes fixed on the papers that she is holding. But once she lifts her gaze, the soft, soothing lighting in the office doesn't do much to offer Alex the kind of refuge that she'd need to mask the conditions of her face.

Just like it doesn't hide the mix of confusion and concern that she sees instantly shaping Nicky's features and widening her dark eyes, right before the first glint of amusement starts sparkling from under that initial, startled response.

"Well... Now I see why you have been so awfully _timid_ this evening." Nicky quips as she closes the door, smirking at her.

"You got into something kinkier than usual, uh?" And then, just like that, at her own mention of kinkiness, those dark eyes light up with the brighter spark of a sudden idea. "Was there any _choking_ involved?"

Alex merely sighs at her friend's excitement, lowering her laptop screen and rubbing tiredly at her eyes from under her glasses. "Did you need _something,_ Nichols?"

Ugh.

 _Great..._

So much for keeping a low profile and playing it cool and neutral.

If she had _any_ chance to let this whole thing slide with an "I ran face first into an open cabinet - (or) - telephone pole" (which was a very limited and remote chance already) it gets _completely_ erased when she greets her partner with such a detached tone.

" _Whoa!_ What's with all the formality, _Vause_?" Nicky, however, doesn't instantly take the matter so seriously to not at least tease her a little at first, stepping further inside and dropping the bill of the restocked beverages on her desk. "Usually you are particularly _frisky_ and _buoyant_ after you have got some." Her friend points out, arms crossing over her chest and that curious gaze scrutinizing her closely, and Alex, unexpectedly, actually laughs. She welcomes the distraction as she picks up the papers that Nicky just set on her desk, scanning them briefly before filing them into the expenses folder of the month.

"Oh, yeah," She agrees as she closes the drawer before turning around to check her reflection on her chrome desk lamp. "I've got some all right." She answers through a mumble, wincing when she notices that the bruise seems to have gotten worse.

"What happened?" The note of humor that was there in Nicky's voice but a moment ago grows weaker. Crushed by the heavier weight of seriousness that Alex notices tugging at her features as she rounds the desk and approaches her.

"Take a wild guess." Alex grumbles as she turns her face on the side to gaze at her profile, asserting the swelling on her cheek and on her split bottom lip with tentative fingers.

Her incredibly attentive friend doesn't even have to think a second about it, probably having guessed _exactly_ what got her in such state in the moment she saw her.

"Well... In that case, everything here indicates that you finally got a real taste of that _fire_ that initially attracted you _so much_ to Sylvia."

Alex releases a scoff.

"Yeah..." She confirms. "Pretty much."

When she finally decides to lift her gaze, it's with extreme tentativeness, just enough to briefly lock eyes with Nicky before looking away, unable to hold it.

"She and I..." She starts, only to pause in afterthought, shaking her head dismissively. "We are done."

The silence following that information is surprisingly light. There is no trace of surprise from her best friend, who simply hums to herself; a contemplative sound that precedes a rather valid question.

"Not that it is any of my business, but... has there _ever_ been an actual "we" between "you two"?"

Nicky surely makes an _excellent_ point.

Because, even during the moments where she has felt the most comfortable with the redhead, Alex still doesn't believe that they would ever had that kind of chance.

"That's why I broke up with her." She answers at last, and... Yeah, well... It might not be _the whole_ truth, but that's still part of the main reason that is making her feel worse on the inside than how she currently looks from the outside.

"I see." Her friend mutters pensively, still rather softly and mostly to herself, but Alex can still catch it: That subtle note of suspicion in her voice that grows more audible when Nicky presents her another question.

"Do I dare to ask if you happened to have used a little bit of _touch_ when you broke up with her?" Her friend cautiously inquires, eyeing the bruise on her cheek that definitely would make _anyone_ believe otherwise.

" _I did._ " Alex promptly assures her, perhaps a bit more defensively than she intended as she explains how things went down.

"I picked her up at work, brought her to a coffee place in the park, and told her that things weren't working or moving forward in any specific direction, and that it wasn't because _of her,_ but-"

"Oh my god..." Her best friend groans, eyes wide with a mix of dread and disbelief. "Please, tell me you actually _didn't_ say _that_."

Alex just stares at her, blinking, brow twitching in an utterly puzzled frown.

"Why?"

"Jesus _Christ,_ Vause..." Nicky reprimands her with a louder groan that holds all of her incredulity and quite a bit of irritation as well that only confuses Alex more.

"Have you _ever_ broke up with a woman before? _Seriously_? The whole _"it's not you, it's me"_ speech?" Nicky breathes an incredulous laugh, shaking her head before eyeing once again the nasty bruise painting of a blue-ish green a good part of the left side of her face. "Honestly, now that I know that, I'm surprised that she _just_ slapped you. If it were me, I would have thrown the coffee in your face, too."

Alex ducks her head, guiltily, refraining from saying that she might have _deliberately_ waited a couple of minutes to let the coffee cool down by a couple of degrees and avoid - precisely - what would have indeed turned out to be a first-degree burn. Because she knew that there was always the chance that the redhead would have... _reacted_ with something _physical_ for the whole break-up thing.

Sylvia is not exactly _violent._ But... Well, Alex definitely knows that the woman kind of has a temper.

It's actually one of the few traits that she has always found pretty alluring in the redhead's character (besides her attractive features and charming confidence).

And now, Alex is visibly sporting the signs of it. Even though, the lip-thing was mostly an accident; her own teeth cutting through the skin at the impact of that swift slap that she honestly _didn't_ see coming.

"Look," Alex steps in defensively at her friend's reprimand. "I don't even _know_ what I was doing, okay? Or even _how_ I was supposed to _do it_." She admits. "I just wanted to be sincere and nice _and_..." Just like that, the powerful charge of her so-called defensiveness leaves her as abruptly as it arrived. Her shoulders drop, and she releases a half-sigh, half-groan as she slumps back onto her leather office chair, running a tired hand through her hair.

She feels sore.

Defeated.

And also - for how hard she tries not to focus on it - _hurt_. And the inside is even more bruised up than her outside.

"Well... what's done is done, sister." Nicky rightfully points out, and even though that philosophical approach and shrugged response are less than comforting, Alex actually appreciates that pragmatism.

It's certainly a better alternative than driving herself crazy with all of the _"what could I have done differently"_ possibilities.

"Although..." Her friend adds, sounding as if what she is about to say is actually what she was aiming for since the beginning. "I have the feeling that _this_ is not _entirely_ why you are currently so pensive and in bad shape. Am I wrong?"

Alex doesn't answer, but her fleeting look is guilty enough, and it speaks for itself.

"There is something more to it, isn't there?" Nicky asks her, not quite expecting an actual answer, nevertheless taking her prolonged silence and general reticence as a confirmation.

"Anything that might have to do with _another_ young lady, perhaps?" Her friend ventures then, tentatively, yet knowingly, and it's hard for Alex not to react at that _wild_ guess or the description that Nicky attaches to that " _mysterious"_ young lady...

"Blonde? Tall? _Gorgeous_ smile? Lovely dimples?" Nicky lists, watching her closely (but not intrusively) for a reaction. "Dorky yet sexy and confident with a pair of endlessly long legs?"

For a moment, Alex even considers denying that not-so-veiled accusation. But... She believes that she has kept this thing for herself long enough, and even though she has had no problem in dismissing Nicky's teasing and playful banters over the past couple of months, the thought of lying _so blatantly_ and _shamelessly_ right in her best friend's face, well... She feels bad enough already without adding any more weight to that spiky mass of guilt weighing in her stomach and poking at her from the inside.

She _hardly_ needs to disappoint another woman in her life. And Nicky is not only the most stable, but also the most important one.

Besides, what's the point in denying her friend's intuition anyway?

The harder she tries to fight and ignore the latest events, one way or another, her thoughts keep taking the same stubborn route that brings her - firstly - on the heartbroken look that she has seen on Sylvia's face and the profound sadness and disappointment that had dimmed the light in her sparkling silver eyes (right before anger made them flash to their fiercest, when she told her that things weren't working out). And then on Piper's heartbroken voice over the phone. Which hurtful insults opened the second cut, although, _that_ blade was much sharper, allowing it to go much deeper.

Piercing something vital that has left her bleeding, slowly, internally, ever since.

" _...maybe._ " Is how she answers eventually, with her head ducked, through a feeble whisper, and...

She finds it surprising, to say the least, to not hear the much expected _"I fucking knew it"_ following her open admission about something that her best friend has been kind of harassing her over (subtly, yet noticeably) for the past couple of months.

Instead, all that Nicky does, is just limit herself to ask her (with a certain tentativeness that doesn't go unnoticed) if, "Do you... wanna talk about it?"

The hesitation weighting in that question is so thick that it's almost palpable, but Alex doesn't mistake it for insincerity.

Her partner is clearly just being caution knowing how _unstable_ such territory has always felt to her and must feel (particularly so) at the moment.

It's appreciated.

And it's also a smart tactic that works.

Well... _Almost._

Because for a moment Alex actually considers the option of telling her friend all that happened, but eventually, she just shakes her head, throwing Nicky a fleeting, apologetic glance in the form of a weak, twitchy smile.

"Not really."

And Nicky, who under her teasing, insufferably curious nature is actually very respectful (like not many would give her credit to be) doesn't press further. Just like Alex never did - despite her urge to do it - when her best friend was the one going through a particularly rough period.

"Okay." Nicky simply answers with an understanding nod, and... it's comforting. Just like the little smile that Alex receives back from her. It makes hers widen that tiny bit more to render it more sincere-looking... only for her to wince in pain under the stress of the extra stretch on her busted lip.

Even Nicky winces sympathetically.

"That lip looks like it hurts." She comments. "Would you at least let me take a closer look at it?" Even under that sincere concern Alex can still hear it, as well as _see it_ beneath that little grimace tugging at her best friend's features. It's there in her eyes; that subtle spark of amusement, shimmering just enough to be caught at the bottom of those dark pools. "Your cheek too it seems like it could use some ice."

To that (subtle teasing or not) Alex can't argue. And the signs that she is starting to give in grow pretty visible under the attentive, trained gaze of her best friend.

"Come on." Nicky encourages her, tilting her head towards the door and...

Even though Alex feels like - in part - she might be getting lured into a trap meant to make her spill everything, she refrains from dismissing her friend's worries and get back to work as a pretext to ignore how bruised she feels. Instead, after another moment of contemplation, she accepts the thoughtful offer and stands up.

"Okay." She agrees, because right now the prospect of possibly getting mildly teased about her current conditions, is far better than staying alone in her office with her own relentless thoughts fluttering distractingly all around her. And so, she shuts completely off her laptop and follows Nicky, whose pleased, victorious smile doesn't pass unnoticed as they step out of her office and into the hallway.

 **. . .**

With the rest of the club buzzing with the same excitement it always does during a busy friday evening at happy hour, the currently vacant massage rooms are the only other rooms - besides her office - that can offer the adequate privacy. And also the most adapt place to take care of her little injury given the comforts that it provides.

While Nicky sorts through gauzes and band-aids and bottles of the first aid kit, Alex sits on the massage bed as instructed, genuinely impressed by the surprisingly furnished med kit, holding against her sore cheek the ice pack that her suddenly very bossy partner breaks and hands her over - and using her other hand to carefully turn her own bottom lip inside out, folding it into a pout to expose the little cut accidentally caused by her own teeth when Sylvia caught her completely unprepared by throwing her that wickedly sharp slap.

" _Ow._ "

The peroxide that Nicky applies there with a cotton swab, stings worse than the cut itself. And even though she has managed to remain obediently still till now, she instinctively flinches away when her friend pours some more disinfectant on a clean swab and puts a bit more pressure on the small, yet incredibly annoying injury.

"Stop being such a baby and stay still, Alex. I'm not saying it again." There may be a note of reprimand and authority in Nicky's tone, but she is definitely a bit amused by some of this, too. Most likely for having her squirming like a little kid would do in front of the dreadful bottle of disinfectant after scraping a knee.

"So... this is a first, isn't it?" Her friend asks her then, in an attempt to distract her. Her previously scolding tone shifting towards something much more playful that instantly alerts Alex of a possible joke incoming.

A suspicious that turns out being quite legitimate.

"You and I, playing _doctor_ in one of these rooms..."

She might have sensed it coming, but there is nothing that can prevent her from actually laughing once she hears the flirt her best friend comes up with.

And she has to admit it. Nicky surely knows how to make her feel at ease by throwing in some of her undying humor whenever she is feeling this morose.

If she is trying to make her stay still, however, and get her to not move her mouth, she isn't doing a great job. Although... she hardly seems to care this time since her quip has succeeded in eliciting that soft chuckle from her and a smile that shifts right back into a wince once her lip protests under the extra stretch.

"In your dreams, Nichols." She mumbles.

Nicky, however, is anything but offended or hurt given the smirk that spreads across her face into a full grin.

"Yeah well, it might have happened once or twice there already actually." She even throws her a wink. The tease. And Alex - given her temporary inability to offer an actual verbal response - just limits it to an affectionate eye roll.

Taking care of her well-deserved little "injury" and seizing the opportunity to tease her with some innocent flirting, however (as Alex already suspected) aren't the only reasons why Nicky wanted to spend some time alone with her.

"So..." _And here we go,_ Alex thinks, releasing a long sigh through her nose and bracing herself once she hears and recognizes that slightly more serious tone getting back in her friend's voice. "Since you don't want to talk about it - and currently _can't-_ " Nicky immediately adds before Alex can get the chance to counter. "I'm just going to guess what the problem is by assuming that that night, during the party, you got so carried away with your blinding passion that you threw every rule out of the window, forgot to put on a condom, and got her pregnant."

Usually, Alex would maybe even breathe another laugh after hearing that kind of absurd joke from her best friend. Right now, however, given the delicate subject and being reminded of that... eventful night, suddenly, the last thing she feels like doing, is laughing.

With the previous lighthearted humor dissipating and leaving space to the reality in fact, she becomes newly aware of how her lip stings, of the way her cheek (even if dulled by the ice) still throbs, and as if that isn't already enough to make her feel like crap, something inside of her seems to reopen at the mention of the matter that she hasn't dared to approach and still feels like she doesn't want to get anywhere near, yet. Maybe (unrealistically) never.

Too afraid that she will get hurt all over again just by reliving the moments that brought her... _here._ Sitting on a massage bed, sulking, while her best friend takes care of her well- deserved "injury" and teases her.

"Nicky, please." She begs thorough an exhausted sigh. "I'm really in _no mood_ for this kind of jests today."

The exasperation in her voice may be slightly more marked than she meant, but even so, it's hardly enough to get Nicky to back off.

"And who's joking?" Her partner asks, meeting her gaze and holding it with a frown, looking genuinely confused. "I thought I've made it abundantly clear since the beginning that I don't trust dicks." Nicky reminds her. "Either real _or_ silicone ones."

Alex rolls her eyes and sighs once more, quickly coming to the realization that there is _no other way_ her best friend is going to stop pestering her with a string of jokes meant to slowly obtain bits of truth from her, even just by watching the way she reacts to them.

And so, she decides to cut to the chase and swallow her pride before admitting that "...you were right."

Just like that, Nicky's head snaps up, eyes wide, and Alex thinks that she is most definitely going to hear that dreadful "I told you so" that she has been expecting ever since her best friend walked into her office. But oh no...

"About me going to be an auntie?"

Apparently, _the jackass_ keeps insisting in playing this little game of "pretending".

And for how much Alex tries to resist it, under the flare of annoyance, her lips do twitch into a little smile in hearing that question and the subtle note of excitement in her friend's voice expertly disguised by the contrasting dread widening her dark eyes like saucers.

"About _Piper._ " She corrects at last, as if she really had to specify who the subject was and instantly realizing that Nicky has probably played it dumb on purpose; so that she could fall with both feet like a moron into the trap that she intended to test with carefulness first - and finally, openly say out loud the name of that long-legged, dorky blonde with the gorgeous smile (as Nicky so _thoroughly_ described her) and whose presence has filled her thoughts, even if their last phone conversation has crippled her heart, and bruised some of her ego, too.

"...I know."

Nicky's voice grows soft, yet serious with that simple response. Suddenly devoid of any trace of playfulness, and the fact that, once again, she doesn't take the chance to gloat at such admission, only makes Alex realize that under all of those layers of humor and insufferable teasing, her best friend might actually have been not only much more serious about this than she initially thought, but also genuinely, _deeply_ concerned about her.

"I knew since that first night, in fact." Nicky confesses, only for Alex to feel yet another weight adding to the thick, heavy mass of guilt that she has been carrying around since yesterday. A feeling that she has been trying to avoid. Because she has always dismissed Nicky and her inquiries to make sure that she was okay about starting doing sessions with someone new and to whom she has been undoubtedly attracted to since the instant her eyes landed on her. From the moment she came in and until she sat at the bar, where they exchanged the first words. And where Alex got to hear that suave, soft, melodic voice, and also see _that smile_ and having it directed _at her._

Yeah... Alex's gaze has been drawn to her since the very first moment.

Something that hasn't passed unnoticed for sure, as Nicky confirms to her.

"God, the way you _looked at her_ when you saw her walk in that night..." Her friend recalls, shaking her head, a little smirk tugging at her lips. It starts as teasing and slightly mischievous but it turns unexpectedly softer until...

Until it drops, taking a sad curl.

It's an old kind of sadness.

One that Alex recognizes with ease. And that also hits her squarely in the stomach. Even if she wasn't the one suffering from that sucker punch directly, seeing Nicky going through that devastating period and help her pick her up the sharp fragments of her heart, only for Nicky to drown them in the haze of alcohol and drugs, well... It has _definitely_ left a mark on her, too.

Her friend's gaze grows distant. Pensive. "Yeah..." And then she sighs, ducking her head to shield her face as she blinks back that layer of moisture from her eyes and swallows the knot that tightens in her throat and that makes her voice sound raspier when she mumbles, softly, under her breath, yet loud enough for Alex to hear her in the stillness surrounding them. "I remember that kind of look..."

That pang that Alex felt but a few moments ago returns tenfolds, distracting her from her own pain.

"Nicky-"

Provide comfort has never been one of her stronger suits, but that is something that has always worked quite well with Nicky, who, even this time - despite her intention to make sure she is okay - doesn't allow her to go further than that, shaking her head dismissingly.

"No... It's nothing. I'm fine." Nicky reassures her, lifting her gaze again to meet hers. It's surprisingly clear. Devoid of old sadness, disappointment and heartbreak, and holding a new purpose.

"Look, Al, I know that seeing me going through all that happened with Lorna is what might have made you particularly more... _defensive_ and caution in the romance department..."

Alex doesn't answer, because she doesn't want to confirm her partner's suspicion just like she knows that she can't deny it. She just squirms, self-consciously, on the bed and shifts the ice pack pressed against her cheek.

"What happened back then... It was an entirely different situation." Nicky summarizes. Which is a poor ass summary considering the kind of ordeal she went through, but the last thing that Alex wants to do right now (or ever, if she can avoid it) is re-open that wound that never got the chance to properly heal.

"So, here's what I'm going to do." Her friend states, clapping her hands together as if she were making her a deal. "I'm going to spare you the hour and half of scolding about breaking the rules that you yourself have set as a precaution to avoid _exactly_ this kind of troubles and messy situations, and instead, I'm just going to ask you directly the motive that brought you to do it."

Alex releases a self-deprecating scoff. "What does it matter anyway?" She asks. "After the things that she said to me..." Her voice trails off and... she shakes her head. Not wanting to remember those words, how much they hurt, although... not as much as hearing how broken and _betrayed_ Piper sounded when she spit them out to her over the phone.

"I don't even blame her so much," Alex admits in all honesty. Because under all the hurt she has to admit that "She was partially right. As was Sylvia when she said that I have used her."

She ducks her head shamefully, sliding the ice pack slightly forward to cover the corner of her mouth and bring some cool relief to even her sore, swollen, pulsating bottom lip.

"Oh, come on now. Whatever it is that she told you... You know that people say a lot of things they don't mean when they get wounded," Nicky assures her. "But you do have to admit it, Alex... you shouldn't have let Sylvia believe that you two could have become something more than an occasional hook-up." Her friend admonishes her, and even though Alex feels the urge to once again defend herself and say that she _didn't_ , she refrains, maybe because she knows that, deep down, Nicky is probably, most likely right.

Despite what her intentions might have been, she could have (not completely consciously) led Sylvia on, maybe because, for a fleeting moment, she thought that perhaps there _was_ the potential for them to become... _something more._

A moment that broke - or rather collapsed on itself - just like that thought, which lost any meaning and dissolved into a nonsense of nothing when she got to spend more time with Piper and fell under whatever kind of spell she and that unique mix of tentativeness and eagerness perfectly blended together and sprinkled with her compelling charm, has put her under.

Its pull is so strong that even now it makes Alex waver, clouding her senses, but definitely not dulling her feelings.

For how much hurt prevails at the moment, gnawing at her from the inside and feasting on her guilt, all of her other... sentiments towards the young blonde businesswoman keep sizzling just as fiercely.

And there is _nothing_ she can do about it.

She shakes her head and blinks a few times to try to dispel that thick mist before fixing Nicky through narrowed eyes. Because her friend told her that she wouldn't have scolded her, and yet, here she is. Doing the exact opposite.

"I thought you wanted to spare me the reprimands." She reminds her. A reminder to which, however, Nicky simply answers by rightfully pointing out that "This is _hardly_ reprimanding you and merely like stating the obvious, Alex."

There is the slight sting of a bite in such response, as if her friend just spoke to an ignorant child instead of her. Luckily though it gets soon soothed when Nicky releases a puff of air through her nose and deflates, softening her voice into an apologetic and somehow understanding tone. "But I know that you had your reasons to act so... _cautiously_ , with both Sylvia _and_ Piper."

Alex's eyebrows knit together in hearing that... _explanation._

"What do you mean?" She asks, and her frown of puzzlement deepens even further when Nicky's lips twitch into a barely hinted, secretive little smile tinged with a shade of endearment.

"I mean that I know you tend to get a bit _squirmy_ when _feelings_ get involved, and..." She pauses, her voice trailing off with the same unexpected shade of uncertainty that takes over her features and that leaves Alex hanging until her friend decides to continue, winning over whatever inner debate she just had with herself. "And that it must have been... _unsettling_ for you, to _realize it_ when you did."

Suddenly, there is a thud in Alex's chest.

A heavy slam against her ribcage that shooks her from the inside.

It makes her stomach twist on itself and, at the same time, erupt into a series of flutters.

It's not the fact that Nicky seems to be analyzing her what throws her off balance, but more like that same feeling that gets stirred from somewhere deep within her.

An unexpected blaze of heat springing from the depths of her belly, engulfing her fluttery insides and making her heart beat double time with something akin to trepidation and... realization.

It comes slowly at first, and then all at once. So fast that it leaves her dizzy.

But she still decides to ask Nicky, with the most tentative whisper that has ever left her lips, "Realize what?" As if the answer that her friend is going to give will be different from the one she already knows. From the one that is making her sweat hot and cold at the same time, making her hands twitchy as she braces herself for that impact to come.

It isn't.

And she realizes it when Nicky first responds to her question with that same soft, knowing smile from earlier and then states, simply enough and rather matter-of-factly:

"That you have fallen for her."

 _There._

And it is then that Alex realizes that it's actually her heart that thing that stutters out of its rhythm and comes to a screeching halt. Slamming against the back of her sternum with enough force to knock the air out of her lungs.

"Because you have, _haven't you_?"

Despite the inflection, it's hardly a question the one that her friend presents her.

That knowing look on her face seems to become even more visible in front of the shock that widens Alex's eyes and stiffens her entire body.

She doesn't even dare to breathe.

Doesn't think she actually _can,_ really.

Being presented in front of such question seizes her up from the inside.

She knows what she feels when she even just thinks of Piper. Just like she might have started to suspect which was the emotion that has resonated within the chambers of her heart in every occasion they have spent together. Try to ignore it hasn't lessened it in the slightest.

Especially not when she believes that she might have seen a glimpse of that same emotion into a pair of reflecting blue pools. And maybe even felt that same stuttered rhythm beating against her own chest during one particular, forbidden, _very_ intimate moment that she deeply cherishes despite everything that happened afterward.

So no. Nicky might not need an actual answer to that question.

But Alex thinks that has it.

For how much the thought scares her- terrifies her, actually - maybe it's _her turn_ to utter that truth that she might have deliberately pushed in the background, not wanting to know what it could mean. _Scared_ about _what_ it could mean.

And so, to prove that she isn't as afraid as she feels, she decides to act on her own advice for once and swallows her nervousness, summoning her usual cool demeanor (or as much of if she can find at the moment) lifting her gaze to meet Nicky's and the encouraging, little, tentative (kind of proud-looking) smile tugging at her lips.

She is about to say it, even though it hardly feels like a confession, not only because of the way her partner is looking at her, as if she already knows, but also because, as wounded as Alex might still feel, even with her heart crippled as it is, it only seems to pick up speed in response to the emotion that has blossomed inside it and that has been throbbing within its chambers with the urge to escape. The first urge that she has resisted with all her might, deluding herself that it would have helped in protecting herself... Like Nicky _didn't_ do all of those years ago.

" _I..._ "

Whatever she was about to say, however, whatever admission she was about to utter out loud, gets suddenly cut off by a sound coming from outside.

It's muffled, but also loud enough for Alex to hear it and instinctively turn her head towards the closed door, frowning.

"Did you hear that?"

She listens closely, but the only sound that she is able to hear is the one of her best friend sighing in exasperation, no doubt interpreting her "did you hear something" as that famous excuse to dismiss their conversation.

"Come on, Al-"

The sound of glass breaking, slamming forcefully against something, cuts off Nicky's reprimand, and the terrified shrieks that follow and that seems to come from the bar have them lock gazes in alarm. They are on their feet in the blink of an eye and rushing out of the door at once, almost tripping over their own feet in the haste to cross the hallway and get to the bar.

If Alex had been secretly hoping for a distraction that would get her away from her confession, well... she surely gets it.

However, when that distraction (and the source of the commotion) turns out being once again that same tall, huge guy that she had thrown out a couple of weeks ago during their special open-doors night, she is _hardly_ grateful for it.

In fact, she would _definitely_ prefer stumbling over words to admit her messy feelings than having to try to keep a two hundred fifty pounds of a nine foot tall drunk, enraged madman away from her scared clientele and try to reason with him, or, at least, to get him outside where he won't hurt anyone if things get... unpleasant.

Which she soon realizes is a mistake.

One that she instantly regrets when, in the moment she takes a tentative step forward, careful in avoiding the shattered glass of bottles on the floor, he snarls and reaches out to grab her.

It happens so quickly that - among everything else - it also leaves her dizzy.

He gets a hold of her and then, before she can even react, he throws her towards the bar like a ragdoll, as if she weighed nothing and, at the impact, she realizes that her sore cheek and her throbbing bottom lip were nothing if slightly annoying.

Landing badly on her wrist surely hurts, but the kind of pain that makes her stomach twist on itself in the moment she feels the bone of her arm slip off her shoulder joint, has no comparison.

It's overwhelming to _a nauseous_ point. Luckily for her though, she "just" feels the first flare of that acute, piercing pain, because in the moment (immediately after) she hits the side of her head against the edge of the bar, everything grows into a confusing, dull, buzzing noise that leaves her tingling all over.

Somehow, she manages to pick her head up from the floor and keep her eyes open long enough to see (among the misty commotion) a few indistinct, hazy figures rushing into the club, tackling and subduing that enraged giant to the ground.

And then...

Someone is tripping all over their feet in the haste to get to her.

And even with her vision swimming as it is, Alex instantly recognizes that messy mass of reddish-blonde hair.

As Nicky kneels beside her, Alex doesn't think that she has _ever_ seen her best friend looking so worried, absolutely _terrified._

She is shouting something, but the loud ringing in her ears makes it impossible for Alex to understand her.

And with the heaviness of a sudden torpor and drowsiness pulling at her, it's even more difficult try to make out the words under that throbbing echo resonating in her head.

She doesn't even try to fight it, because the promise of being temporarily relieved from pain by simply falling into the embrace of sleep, is far too tempting.

And so, before she knows it, her eyes are already fluttering shut, and even with her partner shouting her name, and with her attempts to keep her awake, gingerly cupping her face and patting at her uninjured cheek, Alex slips into the welcoming, relieving, blissful oblivion of unconsciousness.

 **. . .**

The weather has apparently decided to give the city a merciful short break. Enough to clear the streets from some of the snow-banks piled along the curb of the streets, and for the airport to start functioning again without delays.

Who knows for how long it will hold, though. Because as the latest news report said, it isn't going to last.

Which is what makes catching this plane _today_ extremely important.

And what also renders Piper particularly nervous and uncharacteristically anxious. Something that her best friend has easily noticed in the half an hour of the exceptionally silent taxi drive to the airport, during which Piper has been taken hostage by her own restless thoughts, showing a specific concern on her features that only now her best friend decides to voice out loud.

"Are you sure you want _to..._?"

Her partner's voice is soft enough - under the usual frenzied, airport-tumult going around them - that it succeeds in tearing Piper away from her stasis, blinking back into focus, diverting her gaze from where it had distractedly drifted towards the _travelers_ are waiting in line, and meeting her best friend's gaze with a twitchy smile, nodding with conviction before taking in a shaky deep breath. "Yes. It's... too important."

Even Polly's lips twitch into a smile then, softly but also with a certain curl of playfulness.

"The kind of deal that presents once in a lifetime, uh?"

Piper might even chuckle, but that soft laugh sounds hollow and insincere, and, unsurprisingly, it doesn't go past Polly who catches immediately the empty ring in it.

"Yeah, I believe it is." Piper answers then, mostly to herself though, and since she is quite unable to meet her best friend's eyes and the compassionate smile on her face, she shifts her gaze away and towards the departures board instead, releasing another long silent breath through her nose and letting her eyes flutter shut when, in that exact moment, the flight for Los Angeles comes through.

Here we go, she thinks, blinking her eyes open again and turning around to meet her friend's soft dark gaze.

"Polly... listen-"

But she doesn't get far.

"No. _You_ listen to me for once." Her friend interrupts her. Not harshly, but with enough firmness in her voice to get her attention as she also turns her around and holds her in place by her shoulders, giving Piper no other choice but to look at her and not give her the chance to find distractions elsewhere.

"It's going to be okay." Her partner reassures." _I_ am going to close this deal," She then states, confidently. Holding her gaze with that same unyielding firmness. "And _you_... You better have _fixed things_ by the time I come back." There is definitely a heavy warning note in her best friend's voice, paired with a look that would definitely look threateningly if it wasn't for the smile that starts to immediately curl at the corners of her mouth just an instant later.

"Make this right, baby girl."

And with that, Piper gets pulled into a tight, comforting hug into which warmth she can't help but melt a little, while also drawing some strength from it, too.

 _"Thank you."_ She breathes in her best friend's ear, deeply grateful. Her voice is rough and thick, just like the emotional knot that is starting to form there once again.

She doesn't know how she is going to make it up to Polly for taking this trip herself and give her the chance to fix her messy... _situation,_ but she'll need to think big, even if her partner dismisses her gratitude with a hushed, "Don't mention it."

The moment gets interrupted when the announcement for the flight to Los Angeles comes for the second time through the speakers. It brings them to reluctantly break the embrace into which Piper clings onto for a beat longer, smiling when, in the moment Polly pulls back, her friend plants a kiss on the side of her head before offering her an equally warm, sisterly smile, reaching out to take her hand and give it an encouraging squeeze. "Go get your woman, Pipes."

With that, her best friend throws her a wink before heading towards the security checkpoint, dragging her wheeled suitcase along.

Piper watches her until she passes through, and then, with her friend's parting words echoing in her head, she pushes her shoulders back and straightens up.

"I will." She promises, turning around and striding confidently towards the exit until she is out, greeted by the biting cold of autumn leaving space to winter.

The sky is already getting dark, not with the imminent nightfall though, but with the thick, heavy clouds that come from north and that bring the promise of a snowfall that will probably last for the entire weekend.

It might start snowing in less than half an hour, but that's hardly intimidating for her given the purpose that motivates her. She covers herself up, shifts her bag on the other shoulder and hails one of the many, ever-waiting cabs parked in line outside the airport, giving the driver an address that is nowhere near her company as soon as she slips inside.

Work will have to wait.

Right now she has every intention to keep her word and cross the entire city, no matter what.

The looming threat of a possible blizzard won't make her sway or keep her from getting to the club.

Still, when, soon enough (far too soon, actually) on the route heading back to the city they meet the tail of a seemingly endless traffic line, the cab driver glances back at her from the rearview mirror, flashing her an apologetic smile. "It's going to take a while, Miss." He drawls, turning up the heat.

"That's fine." Piper assures, distractedly, glancing out the window where the city seems to be allowing the weather to get a hold of her once again and bring her to her knees.

Sure, getting stuck into traffic is less than ideal given how jittery she feels. Although, this leaves her with all the time she needs to think about her words of apology.

But for the first time in her life, she has decided that she actually won't be preparing her speech in advance like she normally would for a meeting.

For once, in fact (since her mouth got her in some pretty big trouble last time she let it run) when she'll get to the club and be face to face with Alex, she is going to let her swollen, still slightly wrinkled and torn, nonetheless fluttery heart do the talking.

* * *

 **I know that you were all hoping for a quick resolution between these two, but... There was a little bit more of drama already planned for this chapter. But hey, at least Piper has come to her senses and taken one big step towards what is** _ **really**_ **important :) Just... a little bit more of patience guys :D And nope, if you were wondering, for once, I'm not doing this on purpose just to be a tease :P**


	21. Chapter 21

Hi everyone!

Yep, I'm back already with a new, very long chapter for you. I'll admit that I was kind of tempted to split it up in two parts mostly because I would have liked to check back a few things on the second part, but... Even though I'm still not completely certain about a specific scene, I'm still pretty content with it, so... here it is :D

Enjoy

* * *

The drive back to the city takes less than Piper had anticipated, but, at the same time, longer than she had hoped, and by the time she gets to the club, it's already late in the afternoon.

The pink-orange of sunset is blending into the darker blue of the night and gray of the quickly approaching snowstorm. And that portion of the sky, dark and layered with those thick, threatening clouds, testifies in fact that the snow that is already falling is nothing but a mere anticipation; an appetizer of what is going to come in just a few short hours.

As the cab slows down to a careful halt against the curb, Piper leaves a big tip to the driver - who may or may not have taken a few turns here and there and stepped on the gas pedal slightly harder than allowed to get her to the city as fast as possible given the worsening conditions of the weather - and then steps out. Only to get almost: either blown off by an unexpectedly harsh, stiff wind, or get frozen on the spot by the sharper artic-like cold that that sharp gust brings along.

She fights it by covering herself up as much as she can, wrapping the scarf tighter around her neck and making her way towards the entrance of the club with her head ducked to avoid the next blow of that icy wind.

It doesn't strike her at first, concerned as she currently is by the tumult of emotions raging inside of her that seems to be reflected on the wheater itself and that only increases with each step that brings her closer to the club, but once she actually reaches the entrance and lifts her head from the sidewalk...

She instantly knows that s _omething_ is wrong.

There is no line out the door. No sign of the usual bouncer standing nearby. The whole entrance is in fact as deserted as she has never seen it before.

A deep frown knits together her eyebrows while a much more substantial feeling other than confusion crawls its way down her spine and settles heavily in the pit of her stomach.

She doesn't like it _one bit._

Everything indicated that the club is closed.

The only thing is... that the club is _never_ closed.

And... in fact, it turns out that _it isn't._

Well, not really.

The door is definitely locked, as Piper soon finds out by testing her own theory. But when she glances a bit more attentively inside, she notices the dim lighting illuminating the bar. And it's exactly then and there that she spots her. Sitting at the opposite end of the counter.

She has to crane her neck a little, but... _there she is._

Alex's business partner. _Nicky._

She knocks on the door, loudly, with enough urgency to be heard and also - unintentionally - startle the petite young woman in the process, too.

Nicole picks her head up with a start from what seems like a pack of papers sitting right on the counter in front of her beside a couple of beer bottles, swiftly turning around and... It's then, when their eyes lock and the petite woman definitely sees that it's _her_ standing there outside, that Piper's frown deepens and that knot of nervousness lodged between her chest and stomach grows even tighter and all the more uncomfortable. Because Nicky merely blinks at her with this... _this look_ that Piper can't quite describe but that makes the guilt that she had somehow managed to keep at bay flare back to its full, crushing strength. And for a long moment that seems to stretch out into a seemingly endless minute, it almost looks like Nicky might be tempted to dismiss her; turn around and get back to... whatever it is she was doing there in the partial darkness of the club - and just... leave her _there_ out in the cold.

 _However..._

Piper sees the exact moment when the petite woman seems to come to an end with her struggled inner debate, noticing how her posture relaxes as she exhales a long sigh before standing up from the stool, lazily, and then, with visible reluctance, crossing the vast entrance of the bar to reach the door before _finally_ unlock it.

Their gazes meet in the moment she pushes it open, and suddenly, from this close, the look that Piper finds into those usually warm and humorous eyes now looking heavy and circled by dark shadows underneath, is as cold and as sharp and the gust of wind that slips into the club through the crack of the open door and that also pushes inside a burst of snowflakes.

"Club's closed." That's the greeting that Nicky drawls to her. Detached and cold. Just like her look, which she diverts from hers as if she can barely hold it. And just like that, Piper's suspicion about _her_ definitely _knowing_ what happened with Alex (and, most likely, how much she _hurt_ her) gets confirmed. Erasing any doubt in the matter when the petite woman also adds, "And if we were open I would have told security to not let you pass. You are no longer welcomed here."

While Piper might be confused on the possible reasons _why_ the club would be closed in the first place, she can't even look surprised upon receiving that information, really. In fact, she would be lying if she said that, in part (for how small) she didn't expect something along the line of _"no longer welcomed because of the whole going against club's policy/breaking-rules matter"._

She might have had some difficulties and doubts in figuring out the contract when she first joined in the club - mostly out of... _distraction_ when she signed it - but she is pretty aware of what kind of consequences misbehaving would have brought.

There is definitely resentment and more than a drop of what actually sounds like barely contained _anger_ in Nicky's voice. However, her whole speech would have definitely sounded much more authentic if the petite woman wouldn't actually open the door wider to let her in, as she so _does,_ contradicting her own words.

The door closes behind her, shutting off the whistle of the wind, leaving them into the loud, uneasy stillness filling the place.

She has never been in the club when it was so... silent.

So... _deserted._

Something is _definitely_ missing. And not only the background of music and light chatting and clicking of glasses coming from the empty bar, but... a very _specific_ presence.

That same warm, comforting presence that has been haunting her for days and which absence right now makes her feel even colder despite the functioning heating system.

Despite Nicole's pretty open, antagonistic, almost _hostile_ non-welcome, Piper pushes down her self-consciousness and pride and decides to greet the petite woman by going for a rather simple, yet friendly "Hello Nicky" hoping that it would at least give her the chance to gain a little bit of trust with some kindness.

She gets hugely disappointed though, and her hopes shatter when Nicky just crosses her arms over her chest and fixes her through narrowed eyes, jaw clenched and twitching with irritation.

It makes Piper all the more nervous, and seeing no point in a staring contest right now, she yields, ducking her head, half-hiding her wince by looking down at the floor.

"I uh..." She starts, clearing her throat from the raspiness of uncertainty seizing her voice. "I'm assuming that Alex told you about... _what happened_ between us." Tentatively, she glances back up again, and even though the expression on Nicky's face hasn't changed in anything slightly more friendly, this time, Piper decides to bravely hold her gaze.

"You mean about you two getting far more _intimate_ than allowed by the club's policy?" the petite woman inquires, reprimandingly, almost bitterly. "Or you are talking about you _insulting_ and _accusing_ her?" Piper instantly tenses up upon hearing that, her eyes grow wide and her cheeks heat up with a blush that starts as embarrassment and grows into sizzling shame.

"Oh yeah," Nicky nods in confirmation in front of that guilty, shameful look. "She told me _all_ about it." She informs her. "Not that she made it easy for me to get it out of her." She confesses which makes Piper feel even worse; Knowing that she hurt Alex so badly that the raven-haired woman didn't even want to talk about it with her very best friend.

"Luckily though her tongue tends to get a bit loose when she is on med-"

Whatever Nicky was about to say next gets suddenly cut off by the petite woman herself, leaving Piper all the more confused (and with a principle of worry starting to stir in her stomach among all the rest of emotions already swirling relentlessly there).

"Never mind..." Nicky mumbles, shaking her head to dismiss the thought, and even though a part of Piper would definitely want to know what she was about to say, she takes the silence that follows as her chance to... try to _explain_ how things went down.

"I might have... _misinterpreted_ something that I saw between her _and_..." She swallows in an attempt to get a firmer hold of her voice when that thought- that _memory_ (still far too fresh and painful) makes her waver. "... _another woman_ at the park."

Given the fact that Nicky's look doesn't even change in front of that information, Piper realizes that she must have been already aware of that detail as well. Of _the moment_ that made whatever certainty she had about Alex wanting her, collapse like a sand castle under a rogue wave crashing at shore.

"That is no excuse." Nicky points out, and for how much Piper would want to do it, she can hardly argue with that.

"I know..." She just admits.

It's not a surrender, but things won't get any easier for her if she'll further upset Alex's business partner by pointlessly arguing with her, especially over something the petite woman is so painfully _right_ about.

She really messed up. And, luckily, Piper has long recognized as much.

However, just when she's starting to think that the last thing she would have heard from Nicky was something like understanding, the petite woman surprises her by letting go of some of her justifiable antagonism (and heartwarming protectiveness over her friend), by talking to her with a more matter-of-factly approach.

"Look, Piper..." It's actually almost _comforting_. "Alex may not have been direct with you, but that was _her choice_ ," The petite woman rightfully points out. "She was under _no_ obligation whatsoever to tell you _anything_ about her private, personal life or what was going on in it." Once again Nicky presents her an argument that she can hardly debate with. Just like the one that follows, and which pragmatism in it makes the situation all the more difficult as it gets put under the cold spotlights of reality.

"What you two had, was _a contract._ " Yeah. It... definitely hurts reducing it all down to that. To a black and white signature because Piper has stopped about thinking of it _that way_ for _a long time_ now. Which is also, she realizes, part of what got her so deep into this situation. Although... She honestly doesn't believe that she could have avoided it.

Things may have started that way, sure. But... somewhere along the road things got... _blurred_. Boundaries started merging with something far beyond professional concern that has brought Alex to lose (in the most delightful way) her grasp on control during a couple of occasions, and also, that brought up her infinitely considerate side, which the raven-haired woman has shown by brushing kisses on the inside of her wrists whenever the ropes left their mark on her very sensitive skin.

"You expected her to... do _what_ exactly?" Nicky asks her then, and it is the skepticism in her tone what tears Piper away from those memories and brings her back into the present, finding herself face to face with Alex's business partner and with the look of distrust tugging heavily at her features and darkening her eyes. "Take the risk to put her heart in your hands only for you to carelessly drop it and _stomp_ on it?"

Piper's eyes grow even wider at that accusation. Her lips part and close several times before she is able to disentangle herself from that paralyzing shock and blurt out that "I would have never hurt her like that!"

Her defensiveness flares, bordering into actual anger making her shout that response in the deafening still silence of the club. _But_... Nicky is anything but affected by the suddenly louder volume of her voice.

The petite woman in fact barely blinks at her, unimpressed, and then, awfully calm and collected, she puts Piper right in front of the truth with three simple words.

"But _you did_."

Despite the calm and unexpected, sudden layer of softness coating Nicky's voice, those words, and the truth in them, the matter-of-fact way she presents them to her, are sharp enough to pierce through that same vulnerable spot that Piper has been trying to patch up for the past couple of days with no results despite her most desperate efforts.

With nothing but bruised skin to prevent so, it reaches deep within her, poking a new hole in her chest that leaves her hollow.

And it's simply... _awful._

Her throat tightens up and her eyes sting with those same tears that she is not sure if she is going to be able to hold back this time.

She tries to swallow them down, but when she speaks, her voice is rough and wet because of their unmistakable influence.

"You are right," She confirms and even though Nicky has been the one to land the first strike by telling her that, admitting it out loud herself feels even _worse_.

"I hurt her," She repeats, finding a way to push through that searing pain. "And she didn't deserve a word of all the awful things I said to her. But _I_ was hurt, _too._ "

It's not a justification, and she feels in need to tells Nicky as much. "I don't expect this to make any difference to you, but I have regretted those things as I was saying them."

Once again, Nicky is neither impressed or in the slightest touched by her profound sincerity and struggled confession. If anything, her expression regains some of that antagonistic hardness that makes her jaw twitch and her eyes narrow into thin slits when she grits out "You called her _a whore._ "

It takes Piper a moment (startled as she is by _that word_ ) in order to regain some resemblance of balance.

Appalled doesn't even _begin_ to describe how she feels for having such an awful and wrongful accusation been thrown at her _like that._

It's like getting slapped in the face. With the full force of the body behind that harsh, sudden, wicked blow.

"I did _not_ say such a thing!" She immediately defends - or at least as soon as her voice decides to assist her and cooperate against that horrifying, shocking accusation. "I would have _never, ever_ said such thing to her." This time she doesn't even try to check her tone and keep that hint of anger from seeping into her voice along with the hurt leaking into it when she thinks about the possibility that maybe... "Did _Alex_ tell you _that_?"

The thought that Alex might have actually translated her "hurt speech" over the phone into that degrading word makes her feel yet another pang in her chest. But when Nicky corrects her answer, it's hardly soothing.

"No." The petite woman admits, before rightfully pointing out that "But it doesn't matter. She might not have used that word _specifically_ , but the meaning behind _what_ you said to her was very clear and quite straightforward nonetheless."

And just like that, Piper tumbles well past the point of frustration, crossing its blurred border and ending up right into that far worse territory of defeat. Because, once again, Nicky is painfully right.

Willing or not, her thoughts have always brought her back to those vile, spiteful words that she spit at Alex over the phone, and as she thinks back about them for the hundredth time, she does have to admit that the whole "I should have known that someone like you wouldn't have been interested in anything other than sex from me given your kind of business" could very well translate with the deprecative term that Nicky has used.

The petite woman has positively succeeded in bringing her down on her knees with all of her rightful, unassailable arguments, and even though in any other circumstance Piper would never reduce herself to do such thing, this... This is far too _important_. And so, she takes advantage of her weakened, vulnerable position to beg.

It's her last chance.

Either Nicky is going to swing the final blow that will cut her head off, or... or maybe she is going to be merciful.

For how painful it has become clinging onto hope these days, Piper takes a stubborn hold of that thin, frayed rope with bleeding hands for one last time. She just can't let go of it. Not now.

"I know that I have fucked up," She admits, swallowing down the tears and getting a firm hold of her voice as well, to give the impression to sound somehow in control of the emotions running loose through her system, threatening to overwhelm her. "But I really, _really_ need to talk to her." She insists. "So Please," She begs her again, ignoring her pride, her ego and instead focusing on the much stronger need blazing fiercely inside of her, knowing that she'll have to get Nicky's consent to get anywhere near the source of the heartache that her own insecurity and distrust has caused.

"Let me talk to her. I need to tell her _that_ -" She halts herself there, barely in time, but she does. Startling herself in the process, feeling her own heart slam against the back of her sternum with the force that it takes to make its frenetic galloping slow down. It's almost like bring to a halt a wild, bucking horse. Because what she needs to tell Alex, it's for her alone to hear and _no one else_.

And so, for the moment, she swallows those words.

It took getting her heart shattered to realize - as she picked it up piece by piece and put it back together - which was the emotion that had made it pick up _that_ glorious, invigorating rhythm.

Who knows for how long it has been there, living under the threatening shadow of that unconscious yet substantial fear. She just can't help but wonder how she could have been able to ignore its cries for freedom for so, _so_ long.

She tries not to think of all the possible outcomes. But... she definitely intends to tell Alex what she needs to tell her. Whatever happens after that, whether if the raven-haired woman is actually too hurt or... if she is indeed already with someone else... for how much even just the thought devastates her, she has _every_ intention and is fully committed to go all the way.

Alex is _worth_ the deep wound that has pierced her from side to side. Catching her heart right in the middle. Like a spear.

And if she is going to walk away with that still embedded in her chest... so be it. But first, she _must_ speak to her.

The way Nicky is currently looking at her almost makes Piper believe that she must have followed her trail of thoughts by catching the emotions that she isn't so expert in masking as well as she thinks she is able to.

And that's how she finds herself under scrutiny.

The petite woman with reddish-blonde hair appreases her attentively for a few long seconds.

Watching her closely.

 _Studying her_.

And for how much Piper is incredibly tempted to just... look away, she desists.

Even managing not to squirm under that piercing gaze, leaving herself open to be scrutinized so thoroughly, because she knows, she has noticed how much Nicky is an attentive and extremely observant person. As much as her taller counterpart.

At last, the petite woman sighs. A puff of air that she releases from her nose, nodding to herself as if she might have come to a decision.

"You truly care about her, don't you?" And Piper is glad that she hasn't diverted her gaze and looked away, because otherwise, she might have missed it altogether. That softer light starting to shine through and dissipate the darkness of resentment into those dark eyes, and... the little twitch at the corner of the petite woman's mouth that might even look like the hint of a caution smile that suddenly makes that rope Piper is still hanging from, seems so much more solid and sturdy.

And as she thinks about the question that has just been adressed to her... _Well_...

She doesn't think there might be _just_ one answer to convey exactly how _deeply_ she cares.

More than she has cared about _anyone_ in a very, very long time and-

 _No._

That's a lie.

Because she has never, _ever_ cared about _anyone_ in the world the way she cares- the way _she feels_ about Alex.

But that, is something that she needs to say to the raven-haired woman, _in person_. And so, she limits her response to something simple, but at the same time concise and firm that leaves no space for doubts.

Her back straightens up, her shoulders push back and she is no longer wavering under the crushing weight of judgment and guilt when - with her chin jutting out with the most absolute, empowering confidence and defiance, she utters two simple words.

" _I do._ "

This time, she hits the mark.

Nicky appraises her for a moment longer, but eventually, the petite woman's expression softens, subtly, yet noticeably with her next long exhale. Finally letting go of that antagonism and defensiveness that (for how endearing and heartwarming it is seeing how much she cares about Alex to go to such extents) it was making Piper feel impossibly self-conscious and squirmy.

"Ok then." The petite woman drawls under her breath, nodding to herself, seeming to have reached a decision.

Without even daring to breathe, Piper just watches as Nicky turns around and heads for the corner of the bar counter; right where she saw her sitting when she first glanced inside the empty club. Hunched over a pile of folders with a scowl on her face.

She picks up a pen and tears a piece of paper from a notebook, glancing briefly up at her, providing the question that was starting to ring in Piper's head, which not only smooths out the confusion from her face, but it also fills her with a rush of hope and relief when the petite woman tells her, "I'm giving you her address."

Piper's chest expands with what most likely feels like the very first breath that she has drawn in after an entire minute. But... even though she revels on the relief that air brings to her starved off lungs, the confusion that gets once again stirred by the thought of _why Alex_ isn't here - knowing how deeply committed to her work the raven-haired woman is - makes that relief rather short, replacing it with a new, stronger wave of concern.

She itches with the need to get it soothed, and even though she is afraid that ask or say or do _anything_ would make this careful balance tip over and have Nicky reconsider her decision (which is what Piper fears the most right now) she just can't ignore this whole... air that she has found as soon as she walked into the club.

There is this subtle feeling tingling behind her neck that tells her that there is something _off_. She _actively_ tries not to think about the word " _wrong_ " because it would be hardly helpful in calming down the jitters twisting rebelliously in her stomach.

Maybe it's because of the snowstorm, and the club got closed as a precaution, she tells herself. But... It's not an explanation that really convinces her.

Just like it doesn't, one bit, the one that Nicky provides her without her having to ask anything - having probably picked up on the waves of doubts and concern coming off her.

"She has taken a few... _personal_ _days_ off from work." The way Nicky informs her of that, without even meeting her gaze, with a heavy note of tentativeness in her voice, makes Piper feel like there is definitely _something._ Something big and _important_ that, for some reason, the petite woman hasn't told her and that is most likely directly linked to the reason why the club is surprisingly closed. During _a Saturday_ nonetheless.

"And just so you know..." Whatever territory Piper's thoughts were dragging her into - far adrift into an infinite vastness of possibilities - Nicky's voice pulls her back as she finishes writing down the address in what Piper can see - as she carefully approaches the bar counter - is a messy handwriting. "That scene that Alex told me you have witnessed at the park?" Nicky prompts, glancing briefly up at her and giving her just enough time to brace herself and feel her heartbeat speed up again, pulsing in her throat with dread, because that reprimanding tone finding its way back into the petite woman's voice doesn't promise _anything_ good. " _That_ , was Alex breaking up with her unofficial-girlfriend because _someone else_ has found her way into her thoughts lately."

Piper doesn't think that she has ever experienced such a vicious contrast of emotions as the one that gets a hold of her when Nicky provides her the answers to so many questions with just that information and by locking her gaze rather intensely with hers to convey it in full, which manages to make her feel incredibly relieved but also, at the same time, even more awful. Because now that she knows the truth, now that she has _the confirmation_ that what she saw was definitely "not what she thought" as Alex was trying so hard to tell her over the phone and that Piper had just dismissed as a poor feeble excuse she refused to listen to, well... now she feels simply like _shit._

"Yeah..." Nicky confirms, taking up on the guilt that makes Piper divert her gaze downwards on the fashionable, tasteful, polished marble checkboard floor, getting consumed by shame all over again as she thinks back about the accusations and _despicable_ insults that she had thrown at Alex over the phone.

"You've acted like an asshole, blondie."

It stings.

But Piper can hardly disagree.

She actually feels like she might even deserve something worse and harsher.

" _But_..." That unexpected softer sigh catches her attention, making her look up again, tentatively, yet expectantly. Somehow... _hopefully._

"Here's your chance to make things right."

With that, Nicky extends to her the piece of paper with the written address.

And even though every inch of her is itching at the thought of reaching out and taking it, Piper finds herself doing the very last thing she imagined she would.

 _She hesitates._

Until a few moments ago, before Nicky provided her with the information about the reason _why_ Alex was there at the park _with that woman,_ Piper wouldn't have had any reason to find herself entangled in that messy, confusing contrast of emotions, _but now_...

Suddenly, once reminded of how _poorly_ she has acted with absolutely _no reason_ towards the raven-haired woman...

Well... that feeling of unworthiness is what keeps her back. Undeserving of that second chance.

It's... upsetting. And she doesn't feel any better when, even torn in between those battling feelings, at last, after a long struggle, her selfishness turns out to be the feeling that wins out.

The need to see and talk with the raven-haired woman is too deeply rooted within her to not think of it as... _vital._

And it's that feeling that makes her reach out to take the piece of paper that Nicky is holding up to her.

However, before she can grab it, the petite woman pulls it away. Deliberately holding it back and keeping it out of her reach, forcing Piper to meet her gaze, frowning with sudden puzzlement and a new spark of trepidation at the thought that Nicky really might have reconsidered her decision after all.

But no...

Apparently, all Alex's partner wants to do, is remind her about _how serious_ she is regarding this situation.

"Don't make me regret this, _Chapman,_ " Nicky tells her, gravely, with that edge of authentic intimidation sharpening her tone into something that Piper would have never thought the petite woman - given her always-friendly and entertaining teasing approach - was capable of. "Or else I am going _to make you_."

And yet, given the circumstances, it doesn't surprise her.

Receiving threats is not something Piper is used to. Her business has a lot of competition, many clients worth fighting over for, sure, but it has never come down to _actual threats_. And even if there were, she wouldn't have worried in the slightest.

This time however, she is wise enough to not take Nicky's words as an empty warning.

Although... for how unexpected and _worrying_ it is seeing that look of profound seriousness burning- _blazing_ fiercely into those dark pools that, before this evening, Piper has always seen sparkle with the warmth of amusement - she has to admit that it's kind of touching, seeing how deeply Nicky cares about her friend and business partner. How _protective_ and _loyal_ she is towards Alex.

Under all the layers of sadness, shame and unworthiness and regret that Piper feels churning inside her, tugging more and more heavily at her features (and - no doubt - showing into her eyes, too) her lips might even twitch into a soft little smile in front of such display of sisterly affection.

And while she feels very tempted to reassure Nicky that she has absolutely _nothing_ to worry about, she swallows that bit of defensiveness, reducing her answer to a simple nod and a grateful " _thank you_ " when Nicky, at last, hands her over the tiny piece of paper.

Piper folds it into her palm and holds it tightly yet carefully. Because second chances are as precious in their rarity as they are fragile.

"Alex might not give it away, but she appreciates straightforwardness and sincerity above anything else." Nicky informs her, which to Piper is nothing new, but the petite woman seems to have... _a very particular reason_ to reminder her of such thing.

"She hates all of that tiptoeing-around-the-matter kind of bullshit." Nicky continues. "So... if you have something _important_ to tell her..." Her voice grows softer then, her look more tentative, yet deeply knowing all at once, with the same implication that makes Piper's heart stutter out of its rhythm and jump in her throat. "Just _do it_ , kid."

 _Important._

Heat raises from the back of her neck and engulfs the rest of her in the embrace of a very particular emotion that makes her palms sweaty, her fingers twitchy and her insides erupt into a series of flutters.

Because Nicky may not say _the words_ , but she is looking at her as if she _knows_ what it is that kind of important, _urgent_ thing that Piper can _no longer_ keep contained in her chest and prevent from showing on every inch of her as well.

She nods, and swallows, hard, in another futile attempt to get a hold of her voice and of all the emotions swelling and fluttering within her chest before answering.

"I will." She promises- _swears,_ solemnly. And with that, she flashes the petite woman one last smile that holds all of her gratefulness and reassurance.

She turns around to leave, but she doesn't get very far...

"Oh, one more thing," Piper has barely taken two steps towards the door when Nicky's voice makes her turn back around towards the bar, almost startled in front of the sudden apologetic look tugging at the petite woman's features and becoming much more visible in her dark eyes too now without the anger to cloud that much more vulnerable emotion.

On its own, it's enough to instantly make Piper swing back into apprehension. Especially when Nicky warns her by telling her to "Just... Try not to freak out too much when you see her, all right, kid?"

Piper's eyebrows twitch into a frown, and that _thing_ -the concern and anxiety that she has felt settling in her stomach since the moment she walked in the empty, silent club- grows suddenly heavier. Stiffening her entire frame with a sudden tension that expands into her chest, clenching her heart in that painful grasp of apprehension.

"Why?"

 **. . .**

After a good five minutes spent wrestling with the damn thing, Alex officially gives up her attempts to open the large protein powder jar with just one hand.

The lid must be stuck. She must have closed it the wrong way or too tightly last time she used it.

There is _no other_ explanation.

Or at least no other that will leave her ego intact.

She feels restless, and it is all because this whole situation is beyond frustrating.

She has always been praised over the years for her... uh, rather _impressive dexterity_ , and now... She glares down at the wrist brace and the shoulder immobilizer sling holding her arm and all the joints there impossibly still. Forcing her to abandon her last, reasonable option about "preparing" something to eat for herself.

She is starting to contemplate some other possibilities based on the contents of her fridge that would make for a quicker meal without much preparation given her current conditions when she hears the knock on the door.

She doesn't know if she should be either thankful or annoyed, because there is only one person who she knows could be at this hour. The same and _only_ one that has been her (shorter) shadow for the past day, asking her if she needed anything, and that _maybe_ (most likely) said that she would have come by to check on her _"later"._

And since she is here, Alex might actually give in and take advantage by asking her friend to cut some of those vegetables and chicken breast that she has in the fridge.

Although, as she makes her way towards her apartment door, her pride and bruised ego still manage to push through her hunger.

"You know, you don't have to keep checking up on me, Nicky. I told you, _I'm_ -"

But her words of reassurance die on her lips. Swallowed into the sudden silence that falls in the instant she swings the door open and, there is no sign of her slightly annoying, heartwarmingly concerned best friend ready to fuss over her.

Instead, she is met with the sight that has been tormenting her even worse than the past twenty-four hours, and which throb echoing within her chest has been even more painful than that sickening feeling of getting her shoulder reset.

" _Piper..._ "

The young, blonde, businesswoman gives her a twitchy, sheepish kind of smile, and Alex is far too baffled, caught in the grasp of surprise as she is, to do anything to prevent her heart from fluttering all over the place when Piper greets her with that smile filled with guilt, shame and regret yet adorned with a contrasting sparkle in her eyes and with a soft, tentative "H-hi Alex..."

She even _stutters_ a little and it's just then that Alex manages to disentangle herself enough to notice a couple of more details. Like the snow gathered on Piper's coat and beanie, the way she is clutching at her gloved hands, seeking for warmth, the general conditions of her appearance are a bit, uncharacteristically... _messy_. As if she has been walking for entire blocks under the snowfall that has been raging outside for the past hour or so.

And it's also a sight that instantly reminds her - and actually brings her back - to that day a few months ago. When, at her first appointment Piper walked into the club, drenched and late because of a storm.

For a moment, mingled with that melancholy, Alex is also overcome with a sense of giddiness. So sharp and sudden that she can't help but wonder if it might be yet another one of those vertigos that the doctor told her she could experience as a result of her mild concussion.

But she knows better.

The annoying ringing in her ears has almost completely faded already, and such lightheadedness has _nothing_ to do with her slamming her head against the bar counter.

"What..." It takes her a long while to regain the most feeble resemblance of composure and articulate that most expected question while, discreetly narrowing the gap left by the opened door to hide her very badly injured left side and keep out the sling from the blonde's line of sight.

Luckily, the swelling on her cheek and bottom lip has diminished, as well as the bruise there on her face, now dimmed into an unflattering shade of pale green with light yellow-brown edges that is practically invisible under the soft lighting of her entrance.

"What are you doing here?" She finally manages to ask at last, and it takes her quite some effort, _a lot of it_ , not to let the young woman who has obviously been daring the weather and is clearly _freezing_ out there in the hallway, inside the warm confines of her apartment. But... _something_ \- that same wound caused by all of those hurtful things that Piper said to her, keeps Alex from extending such invite.

First, she needs to hear what has brought the young woman to her doorsteps.

"I... uh, I went to the club," Piper informs her, uncharacteristically stiffly. "But when I got there, there was no one except Nicky and..." She is not exactly rambling, but all of that tentativeness coating each word, and her general disheveled state, makes Piper sound and look pretty awkward. Something that the young, always-collected businesswoman rarely is, if not when particularly anxious. As Alex got the chance to witness, _occasionally_.

Still, that bit of information that Piper has revealed is more than enough to make Alex guess how things went down from there. About how her partner must have surrendered under the persuasion skills of the young businesswoman and those sad big blue eyes filled with guilt.

"And I really needed to talk to you." Just like that, in such simple statement, Piper's voice comes out firm and concise. Clear from any trace of the awkwardness that had tried to get a hold of it and bend it under the weight of urgency in her tone.

Even those eyes - that but a few moments ago the young woman struggled to keep locked with hers - are now just as firm and unwavering, giving Alex no choice but to fall deep into those deep blue pools, allowing her to see the tumult of emotions swimming inside them; Past the regret and guilt and shame and reaching deeper, where those emotions haven't damaged the pulsing core of an emotion that Alex herself feels, and that gets once again translated by the fluttering, stuttered beats of her still crippled, limping heart.

"Talk to me about what exactly?" She asks, and even though she manages to sound neutral, almost close to detached, it's particularly hard for her to keep her hopes down.

The heavy weight she has put on top of them is already trembling.

She is not playing it dumb.

There aren't many reasons that would bring _anyone_ to cross the entire city under a fucking _snowstorm_ just to _talk_ to her.

But... Piper _isn't_ anyone. And the reason why she has gone through all this trouble to seek her in person is because whatever she has to say, it clearly can't be said in a phone call, especially considering how poorly their last one ended up like.

Piper may not have given her the chance at the time to explain herself, but Alex actually needs to hear her say it. Even though, when those big, bottomless blue eyes lock with hers as they do right now, with that same intensity they always do to convey the depth of a particularly strong emotion, words seem to be hardly needed.

Regret, shame, guilt, apology, and sprinkles of melting snowflakes are all that Piper seems to be made of right now. Well, _that_ , and also that unnamed, potentially _dangerous_ emotion.

Nonetheless, the young woman seems to understand her need, and answers to her question by actually voicing her reason out loud.

"I needed to apologize to you."

 _There._

Simple and direct.

"Those things I said..." She cringes- winces at the memory, diverting her gaze and looking downwards, shaking her head in self-reprimand, engulfed by another wave of shame that makes her shoulders drop, thickening her voice and adding another layer of moisture in those blue eyes, as Alex instantly notices when Piper glances up at her again. "I didn't mean them, Alex. _I swear_."

Alex appraises her for a long moment, but she doesn't have to look too closely or attentively.

Piper's regret is overwhelmingly blatant, rendering her words deeply sincere even if they are hardly enough to soothe the sting that is still there, lingering uncomfortably behind her sternum.

"Okay," Alex answers at last, nodding. She isn't forgiving her, but merely acknowledging her apology. Which Piper takes as an encouragement to continue.

"And I know that there are no excuses from my part but..." She pauses, taking in a shuddering deep breath. "If you would give me just a few minutes, I would like to explain why I reacted the way I did."

It's just then that Alex realizes how dangerously low her defenses are. And hearing Piper's intentions (and what they might involve) is what triggers them to go back up again.

She can't be caught unprepared for a second time.

And when her gaze drops down on her injured arm - still discretely kept out of the young woman's sight who apparently doesn't seem to be aware of what went down the previous night at the club - she has her answer ready.

"Actually..." She starts, cringing inwardly at her excuse. "It's kind of late, and now it's really not _a good_ -"

She should have come up with a better, more convincing argument though. Because she should have known that, determined as Piper currently is, so strongly that whatever this explanation might be has driven her with such courage to her to cross the city and dare the snowstorm raging outside - she wouldn't have taken a no without at least fighting a bit harder.

" _Please..._ " The young woman insists, softly, yet with that same urgency that is still weighing in her usually smooth and suave voice. "It will take just a few minutes." She reassures her. "And... After that, I'll just go and... leave you be." She promises, even if the thought to end it like this clearly pains her as much as Alex, hurt as she already is, can't help but feel, too. With a new, harsher, throbbing pang carving its way deeper into her chest.

She exhales a long silent breath through her nose.

She could insist.

But, even though she has never been into masochism, not even in her business, a part of her - a huge part of her - is tempted by the harmful idea of picking up her shattered hopes, because maybe... maybe what Piper has to say will smooth out the edges, rendering them less sharp and dangerous.

It's hard not to indulge in the possibility.

And so, at last, guided by that muscle in her chest that lately has only caused her problems in the whole feelings department, she wordlessly nods in agreement.

She is not looking forward to explaining her current conditions though, and even though she knows that there is no way she can avoid it, she still steps behind the door as she opens it wider to let Piper in, deliberately diverting her gaze, looking downwards, pretending to fix her glasses as she does so. Gaining a couple of seconds of advantage to prepare herself if not delaying the inevitable shock that comes far too soon, first with the audible stutter in the young woman's steps on her hardwood floor and then by the choked gasp that instantly follows.

" _Oh god..._ "

Alex may not see the initial shock and fear, but she sure sees them etched onto Piper's young, lovely features when, tentatively, she glances up again and, for the second time in two days, she has to see that look of absolute dread widening the eyes and whitening the face of yet another woman that she - despite everything that happened, despite all the things that she said to her out of hurt and jealousy - deeply cares about.

"Oh my god, _Alex..._ Your arm! _What happened?!_ "

The sudden, blazing concern seems to make Piper forget about their current... _terms_ , bringing the young woman to stride towards her, but Alex - even if affected by the sincerity of that worry and urgency, given the way that treacherous muscle in her chest reacts in front of it - takes one step back just as instinctively. _Protectively._

It's small, yet more than enough to be noticed and make Piper halt on the spot. Her steps falter and it clearly takes the young woman some effort to respect her wishes and keep her distance. It visibly pains her, too. Resisting that urge to reach out and fuss over her. Letting her hands fall at her sides instead; restless and twitchy with the same sudden, buzzing energy that Alex can almost _feel_ coming off like sparks from her slender frame.

"It's... It's nothing." Alex lamely dismisses, shrugging only to grimace at the stupidly unconscious gesture and the sharp flare of pain that shoots down her arm and that brings her to instinctively cradle her injured shoulder. "Occupational hazard."

It's not exactly _a lie_. Sure, it's far beyond the safe limit that a few (within a specific typology of clients) request in her business and in certain, very _specific_ practices. But Piper, as expected, sees right through the forced nonchalance in her response, leaving Alex to wonder why she even tried to dismiss the matter in such way.

She sighs in defeat not looking forward to re-live the entire thing. Or, even less, see the worry grow darker into Piper's deep blue eyes.

"That asshole from the open-doors evening came back yesterday," She informs. "And... this time he didn't limit himself to just talk drunk-nonsense."

Realization comes in an instant. Seizing Piper's slender frame, bringing the concern on her face to a whole new, terrified level.

"He... He _did_ _this_ to you?" The young woman asks, gesturing to and eyeing her arm, shocked, horrified but also... with another stronger, firmer note that is pretty audible in her voice as much as it becomes quickly visible on her face.

It's in the tight set of her twitching jaw, and in the hardness in her wide eyes, so cold and distant, and yet, at the same time, _blazing_ with that hot, fierce, unmistakable flicker of _anger._

All the other emotions that swim in them are the only thing that keeps it somehow contained, even if barely, preventing it to grow to its full strength as Alex elaborates further.

"He barged in, got violent, I tried to get him away from the costumers as a precaution, only for him to grab me and throw me against the bar." She summarizes. "I..." She looks down at her immobilized arm, scowling. "I sprained my wrist and dislocated my shoulder when I fell." She runs a hand through her hair only to wince once again when her fingers graze the light bump on the side of her head and reminds her of that _other_ thing. "And... I might have also lost consciousness for a while when I hit my head." She adds reluctantly in explanation when Piper's worry flares all the brighter in front of her visible discomfort.

" _Oh, Alex..._ " Her features twitch into a pained expression, her voice grows feeble, and even the anger in her eyes seems to dim down and leave space to sympathy, offering another glimpse of that deeply rooted guilt.

Even among that swirl of emotions though, confusion seems to be the one to make its way through at last.

"Don't you have a security guard standing at the entrance?" There is no trace of accusation whatsoever in her tone, just a sincere curiosity holding up that legitimate question.

"Yeah well... Boo isn't much of a fighter." Alex defends. "She is bulky and intimidating enough because of her size and appearance. Pretty mean and particularly scary too with the occasional bigot prick that passes by and makes some nasty comments." Which is mostly why she hired her in the first place. "But there isn't much that she - or anyone else for that matter - could have done to stop that nine-foot-tall giant." She points out. "Just trying to keep him from getting inside got her a concussion and a couple of bruised ribs, too."

Piper nods, eyeing her brace with that distant look in her eyes, swallowing hard, as if imagining how things went down for her to get injured so badly. With how much violence she must have been thrown against the bar. How hard she must have hit her head to lose consciousness...

"I'm surprised Nicky hasn't told you," Alex confesses in all honesty, mostly in an attempt to get the young woman back from those dark thoughts, but also because she truly is surprised by her business partner's reticence about what happened. Although... she is also grateful that Nicky has decided to hold back this kind of information from Piper, or else, she might have thought that what went down at the club was the sole reason behind this rather unexpected visit.

"She just told me that you weren't feeling well." The young woman answer, looking still so far away, struggling to put together all of the pieces of information that she has been given. "But I knew there was more to it." She admits finally blinking away that haze clouding her eyes and back into focus, into the present.

"And I can't help but think that maybe she or even you would have told me if only _I hadn't_..." Her voice trails off and she stops herself there. Head ducking in shame. The weight of all the awful things that she said is clearly still pressing down on her, maybe with the same kind of heaviness those words have affected Alex. And seeing how hurt and broken Piper is doesn't lessen that pain. Quite the opposite in fact. It makes it burn all the brighter. Shimmering, just like the layer of tears pooling into those blue eyes and the heartbroken look in them.

"You didn't deserve a word of those things I said to you, Alex." Piper repeats and this time, her voice does crack a bit under the weight of all those emotions that makes Alex divert her gaze once again.

"But you didn't come all the way here just to tell me that, did you?" She asks, because she knows that among the reasons that brought Piper here - even if she doesn't dare to indulge or reach out for hope again and risk hurting herself all over again before having a confirmation - the one of simply apologizing wasn't the only reason.

And Piper confirms it to her.

Unexpectedly, the young businesswoman smiles at her before shaking her head in negative.

A soft little curl of her lips that for how small, it reaches her eyes and makes them glint with that same affection that instantly makes Alex's own heart trip over itself at the next beat. She just... can't prevent it.

"No," Piper admits. "I..." She pauses, taking in a deep, calming, slightly shuddered breath and swallowing in an attempt to get a hold of her jittery nerves before continuing. "I left my business partner at the airport a couple of hours ago," She informs, taking a tentative step closer. "And now she is on a flight directed to LA. A flight that _I_ was supposed to take to meet with a client and close a deal. Instead, I have taken my best friend away from her troubled, crumbling marriage and her baby boy for five days."

For the briefest moment, Alex's sarcasm sparks to life, and she is actually almost tempted to say that she might as well have done a favor to her partner by temporarily relieving her from her personal problems, but... at last, she decides to holds that comment back. Because it's quite obvious how much having taken such decision taunts the young woman, even though... The guilt that anyone would expect to find is barely visible. An incongruity that Piper doesn't delay to put into an explanation.

"I'm telling you all this because I believe that you should probably know that I'm selfish," The young woman states, firmly, with what is not exactly pride but just a fact; yet another thing that she has accepted about herself. And when Alex notices the way Piper juts her chin out a bit as she tells her so, she might actually feel a little spark of pride flare inside her still bruised chest. "-and that besides having recently found out that I have a thing for jumping to conclusions and worst-case-scenarios," Piper continues. "I might also be pretty self-involved at an unconscious level."

With that, the young businesswoman takes another small, yet less tentative step forward. Gaining confidence as she takes off all of those layers from her frame. Shedding herself to expose the beating core of her true essence, in a far more intimate display of nakedness that leaves Alex a bit mesmerized and makes her heart beat that tiny bit faster with that sense of anticipation tingling up her spine and starting to flutter in her belly.

"But you also made me discover new parts of myself during this past couple of months." Piper also admits. "And it wasn't just because of the sex experiences and getting to know myself in the way you _taught me_ how to. _But..._ "

Her voice grows softer, more tentative and vulnerable. And the honesty held in her next words manages to reach that injured, cracked space in Alex's chest where doubts have been sitting, heavily, for the past few days. A feeling that gets immediately soothed when Piper confesses to her that "It was because of the intimacy that I felt we have somehow created during those moments."

There.

She might have suspected it, _hoped_ for it even, but, at last, Alex has the actual confirmation that she wasn't the only one who has felt that wonderfully forbidden connection that went far beyond what were supposed to be just heir roles.

"I don't know when it happened, but..." Once again, as Piper's voice trails off, leaving space for that glint of tentativeness to seep through and for the twitchy, shy little smile that tugs at her lips before continuing. "...somewhere along the way, it... _just did._ " She shrugs, helplessly. Having already surrendered to that PULL that is also threatening to drag Alex down. "That night just confirmed what I have already been suspecting for some time..."

She doesn't need to specify _which night._

Breaking all of her rules at once makes it a rather memorable experience on its own, Alex believes. And all that happened between them in the confines of that room, the heat of passion that she has felt _sizzling_ on her skin and that left marks on her body is what makes it unforgettable even if those signs have already faded. But... she still needs to hear Piper say it. To mend the kind of damage that has wrecked her insides.

And that's why, with her voice thick, and her heart pounding in her chest and throbbing in her head, she decides to prompt the young woman by asking her "And what's that?"

Her composure was all that had been left of her, but presenting such question has a way to take even that away, replacing it with a sudden, uncomfortable nervousness made of trepidation, anticipation and that same, stubborn, undying hopefulness.

It's disorienting, but, at the same time, the way Piper looks at her, is more than enough to ground her.

There is such softness in those eyes. As blue and deep as Alex has only once seen them before. So bright and glistening with the depth of an affection that is as frightening and devastating as it is undeniably glorious.

Just like the impact of Piper's next words.

"That I have fallen for you."

There is a stutter in Alex chest as everything seems to slow down to a halt, including the beating muscle kept contained in her ribcage, only for it to resume beating double time when Piper smiles at her through the tears shimmering in her eyes, and then, to definitively banish the shadows of whatever doubt was left...

"I love you, Alex."

There.

The confession itself.

It falls from Piper's lips with such obviousness.

It rolls off her tongue like the single hot tear that tumbles down her cheek when she blinks. As if she could have not contained it for a minute longer.

There is such easiness in her voice.

But not lightness.

There is weight in those three little words. Sincere and grounding. Like the completeness, the _thoroughness_ held into the explicitness of the confession itself; of that one decadent emotion that has torn them both asunder, but that hearing it getting finally pronounced out loud in the open, brings everything under the one and only light and perspective of reality.

"Good." Alex breathes taking a few moments longer to properly, thoroughly absorb those words, to let them sink in, to allow them to repair whatever damage was left from those sharp shards of hope. Stitching that deeper bleeding gash together as she inhales, and for the first time in days, she doesn't get struck by that awful, stinging pang.

And it's only then, only when she feels like she has recollected some of her strength back, when she feels steady enough to speak without the risk of her voice possibly wavering that she allows that sentiment that has been trashing relentlessly inside her for far too long, to burst free as well.

"Because I love you, too."

If it has been relieving hearing Piper say it, it feels impossibly liberating letting it out in the open, where it belongs, and not contained within her; living in that far too tiny place, suffocated between one beat of her heart and the other.

But it's only when she sees the way Piper's head snaps up - from where she had ducked it, self-consciously during her prolonged silence - eyes wide, lips parted that Alex realizes that, apparently, the young businesswoman was _not_ expecting her to return the sentiment.

It leaves Alex wondering if she might have held back too much in order to preventively protect herself, and she also wonders if by doing so, if by taking her time and space, she could have inadvertently leaked some kind of doubt into the young woman about what her intentions and her _sentiments_ were- _are_.

Piper's tentativeness would make so much more sense then, and render it all the more justifiable.

Because maybe... Maybe Piper simply hadn't _dared_ or allowed herself to hope for it. Just like Alex might not have done, at least not fully, until she actually _heard_ her utter _those words_ a minute ago. And she can hardly blame the young woman from protecting herself in such a way.

"You... _you do_?" Piper asks her then. Her voice sounding in between urgency and tentativeness, equally eager _and_ afraid to receive that confirmation, as if she might have heard wrong. As if Alex might have said something else, or... as if she might _take it back_.

But Alex simply couldn't. Not even if uttering it out loud hadn't felt half as liberating and _right_ as it did. As the sentiment itself _feels_. Proud and so sweetly scorching. Sizzling, tingling and fluttering.

"Jesus, Piper..." She groans in response, rolling her eyes, caught in between the unfamiliar, yet delightful lightheadedness of elation and pure, simple _frustration_ , because "I have never done this before, okay?" Alex might even feel... awkward, in admitting as much. Which is most likely the main reason why some of her defensiveness sparks through.

"I have never felt like this before, or done relationships, and... I don't know _what_ or _how_ I am supposed to do this, but..."

But with her, _she wants to._

Because it feels _right._

Her voice trails off and she sighs. A long, calming breath that does absolutely nothing to slow down the frantic pace of her heart.

With Piper, it _always_ felt right. Since the very beginning.

Being with her has been so easy and effortless that she should have known _better_ than not catch those signs as something potentially dangerous. Something to be particularly careful about.

She has never felt more invigorated in ignoring a sign of danger as much as she did with this one though. Even if, as expected, it ended up in messing _her_ up. Although... considering how things are turning out, she can hardly feel any regret, at the only exception of not having been more direct with Piper. Because that would have _surely_ spared them both some heartache.

And while Piper seems to have heard her and her short, awkward _speech_ about being unfamiliar with this... dynamic, the young woman seems to be still processing one information and one information _exclusively_.

"You... said you _love_ me."

It's clearly supposed to be a statement, but the incredulous look in those wide blue eyes, and the little inflection in that smooth, suave voice filled with emotions, makes it sound more like a question.

And God...

She is _such_ a dork.

...a very _lovable_ dork.

Alex can't even hold back the entertained little smile that starts tugging at her lips and the soft quiet chuckle that slips past them despite her best efforts, which, in front of Piper, seem to grow weaker and weaker under that much stronger, indomitable PULL of affection tampering with her judgment.

Piper is anything but offended though. It's quite the opposite actually given the way she _beams_ at her. A wide, full smile that digs dimples on her cheeks and reaches her watery eyes, making the emotions swimming in there sparkle all the brighter.

"I _literally_ just _did_ , yes you-" But Alex doesn't get the chance to deliver her confirmation in full. There is hardly any need anyway.

Especially when Piper oh so bravely, emboldened by her confession, closes that little space left between their bodies, erasing that distance in a couple of firm confident steps and, after hooking a hand onto the back of her neck and pulling her closer with purpose, they both manage to convey that sentiment's great essence in the best, most exhaustive way possible.

Piper kisses her first, and while Alex surrenders to being pulled closer, she doesn't bend so easily. Her nature, inevitably, prevails, bringing her to wrap her uninjured arm around Piper's slim waist to pull the young woman impossibly closer. Until their bodies are pressed against the other's with nothing in between.

And there is the proof.

The ultimate confirmation that she needed, that final piece of comfort and reassurance she finds it in the softness of Piper's lips; in the sweet warmth of her mouth. It that delightful little shudder that travels right through her slender frame and echoes as a flutter inside Alex's own chest when she deepens the kiss.

Even though her lip doesn't sting as much as the previous day, it's still tender, but that certainly doesn't keep her from breaking the kiss when Piper dares her - silently _begs_ her - by nibbling at her bottom lip, to embrace some of that _fire_ born from anger that is still licking a bit at her insides, _encouraging_ her to let it burst free. To make this kiss all the more authentic by including all of their contrasting feelings within it.

Alex groans, and returns the gesture, with much more purpose, biting hard - enough to earn her a little cry that she promptly swallows - but not as much as to actually hurt Piper, who takes that little sting as an appetizer of punishment, welcoming it with greediness.

When they pull back, it is only because their burning lungs render them unable to ignore the need for air for a second longer. And also because Alex's body was starting to react in ways that right now, given her conditions, wouldn't have brought to any wise decision suggested by the still sizzling heat of the moment.

It's just then that they part.

Unwilling to sever the moment and such closeness, however, especially since staying apart has been so unbearable, they lean their foreheads together. Panting. Breathing in the same hot, sweetly musky air.

Alex keeps her eyes closed. Basking in the moment, but even without actually seeing it she can feel the smile stretching on Piper's lips when she nuzzles the side of her cold nose with the tip of her own.

And even though the kiss has managed to deliver in full what no other words (besides the three little ones that they have exchanged) could, there is a part of Alex that compels her to warn the young woman by telling her that

"You know, just because I just said that I love you and we just kissed it doesn't mean that I have completely forgiven you yet."

It might not be the most romantic thing to say to reinforce her burning affection, but it is sincere, and most importantly, something she feels the need to voice, blinking her eyes open and locking them with a pair of blue gems to make sure that she conveys her words and all the sentiment held in them.

Impossibly so, Piper's smile grows even bigger. Showing her lovely dimples and reaching her eyes, making them sparkle like two precious light blue sapphires.

"I wouldn't expect you to do it so quickly," Piper assures her, understandingly. "Although I'm definitely looking forward to do whatever it takes to right my wrongs and earn your forgiveness."

Alex can't help but smirk a little at that _specific_ phrasing. Barely managing to keep it from growing into a full grin when Piper seems to catch up with what she just said and her cheeks gain that lovely shade of pink.

"That came out kind of kinky, didn't it?" She asks, grimacing through her adorable blush.

"It did." Alex chuckles. "But... do you have something in mind already? Something that doesn't involve me roughing you up." She adds preventively in afterthought, because for a moment it has been _so easy_ to forget about her injury.

Piper shifts her mouth on the side, pensively, while stroking that spot behind her neck that has Alex lean back into the touch and fight off the purr vibrating in her throat.

"How about..."

The young businesswoman gazes around her apartment then, more like in search for answers than to take in the surroundings and admire the decor, and... She actually finds one.

Sitting on the kitchen island right where Alex left it. Still stubbornly sealed despite all of her efforts to open the damn thing.

She is not used to feeling awkward or self-conscious, but... when Piper spots the protein jar and then looks at her with that dimpled smile stretching on her face, well... She doesn't even try to mask that spark of mild embarrassment by pretending to fix her glasses.

"How about I'll start by getting you something to eat?" The young woman suggests, grinning. "A proper, warm, _homemade_ meal, and not just a protein shake." She specifies, so temptingly that Alex does a double take. _Astounded._

"You mean..." Her eyes narrow because it's probable that she got that homemade bit wrong... "You are going to... cook _for me_?" She asks, unable to keep that note of skepticism out of her voice or even from her suspicious expression.

If she was secretly hoping for a bit of that endearing sputtered defensiveness in response to her shocked question however, she gets none. But it's hardly disappointing when, instead, Piper just answers with a rather suggestive and mischievous "For once you can just sit back and watch me."

She even _winks._

And it's so awkwardly, _adorably_ crooked that it's simply _impossible_ for Alex to hold back another soft little chuckle upon seeing it and hearing that shameless innuendo. But beside the humor and that dash of seductive teasing in such offer she feels the need to reassure Piper that, even though she appreciates and is grateful for the kind offer, "You don't have to-"

That's how far she gets before getting silenced by a kiss.

An impossibly soft, lingering peck that melts away whatever trace of tension was lingering in her body since she first answered the door barely ten minutes ago and found herself in front of an unexpected chance.

"I _want_ to." Piper reassures her when she pulls back, her voice a soothing whisper, unwavering. As comforting as the sparkling, vibrant blue of her eyes. "You have always taken such good care of me. So please..." The young woman begs her, oh so softly, encouragingly, letting her gloved hand slip down from her uninjured shoulder and rest lightly at the center of her chest where she can no doubt feel her thrumming heartbeat spiking up with the flutter that such simple, yet intimate gesture elicits.

" _Let me_ take care of you now." It's a simple enough request. Generous and presented with such lightness, but what hits Alex more, is how that "now" doesn't sound like a _"for tonight"_ but more like a silent, implied _"from now on"_.

And for once, for what might as well be the first time, the thought doesn't scare her. It doesn't fill her with that sense of dread coming from a possible responsibility she wants _nothing_ to do with if she can avoid it. She isn't filled with those uncomfortable jitters that twist and turn rebelliously in her stomach.

The reassurance and safeness that she finds reflected into those two endless pools of blue cast that old rooted fear into shadows. Banishing them from existence in this new, unexplored realm she has never stepped foot into and is just tentatively testing out.

"Okay..." She answers at last, softly, yet with the same firm conviction that comes from nowhere but the most authentic place where all of her emotions spring from.

And it feels a lot like she is officially agreeing to... something more.

To something... _permanent._

To the kind of relationship that she couldn't imagine having with Sylvia or anyone else, but that feels like the one and _only_ kind she could _ever_ have with Piper, and no one else.

Piper... Whose eyes fill and glint so beautifully with new joyful tears that tell Alex that there was indeed something more implied in her words than just a simple _"for tonight"_.

"Okay." She repeats, and her answer, that softly firm consent, rewards her with that full, dimpled, delighted smile that once again succeeds in eliciting that wild fluttery feeling that starts in her chest and echoes in her belly. A feeling that Alex already knows she is never going to get used to. Therefore is never going to grow old or less enthusiastic. Just like the shock of electricity that buzzes between them right before Piper leans in one more time, her eyes drifting down to her lips Instinctively, Alex meets her halfway in and not even the paling bruises within her can prevent her from not recognize that kiss for what it is.

Because while Piper might still kiss her with apology and regret. Those lingering traces aren't enough to taint the richer, stronger essence that such kiss encases.

If anything, their shared heartache has contributed in giving it that additional speck that makes their professed and returned affection all the more valuable and earnest.

And while Alex might have meant it when she said that she hasn't completely forgiven her yet, well... it's hard to resist the safe, comforting taste of home that she finds on Piper's soft lips, and in the sweet, warm embrace that she finds when they part to welcome her in.

* * *

 **Ah, Alex... She would forgive Piper pretty much anything, wouldn't she? :) Yep... She is pretty smitten. They both are. Also, protective Nicky giving Piper the shovel talk :P Anyway... Here it is guys! They** _ **finally**_ **said it. They got everything out in the open and are taking the first steps to make up... By making out :P Just a couple of more chapters now guys...**


	22. Chapter 22

Hello there!

So... I think I have already said this, like, a bunch of times already in this story alone, but I wanted to express to you guys again my thanks for all of your kindness and lovely words, and also for your patience. I know that many, _many_ (most) of you understand that it can take time to write a chapter this long when there are errands and work and other real-life duties to tend to, and I thank you immensely for your patience :) To all the others, however... Well, I should get a whip :P Seriously though, it is flattering receiving requests for the next update, but as I have repeated over and over again, I _can't_ and _won't_ post something that is _unfinished_. And the demands? They certainly don't help in any way. Quite the contrary in fact since they can get a bit to my nerves. As someone humorously mentioned in the comments maybe I should have delayed this update on purpose for those who have been so impatient. But then I would have had to punish all the others who have been so understanding and kind and have waited quietly in a corner, and... I just couldn't do that.

So, here is the new chapter, with a special thanks to all you guys that have been so lovely and waited so patiently :D

Enjoy

* * *

Alex's apartment is vast and open, and yet, warm and _cozy_. Which is both an incredibly challenging feat to accomplish in an open space but also an unsurprising one, and with quite an obvious reason, given that that homey-vibe comes from the tenant herself, and from having all those touches that recall her unique, "quietly vibrant" personality scattered all over the place with that unmistakable, delightfully refined taste that she possesses.

Earlier, she has been far too... concerned, about Alex's conditions and way too occupied in awkwardly stumbling all over her own words to profess her feelings (and then in actually trying to convince herself - by chanting it over and over in her head like a mantra - that it wasn't just her active imagination, but that the raven-haired woman had actually returned the intensity of her burning sentiments back to her) to pay attention to the surrounding. But now that her heart has slowed down from that frantic rhythm and into that fluttery elation, she has the first real chance to look around.

Suggestive, tasteful paintings adorn the walls as a testimony of Alex's infinite appreciation for the suave, elegant and delicate form of the female body.

They are alternated by pictures resting on the modern, stylish furniture, all shoot from quite a few different places around the world; some simply showing Alex herself, while others frame her alongside a certain petite woman whose mass of reddish-blonde hair and smiling dark eyes make her indistinguishable from anyone else.

As she looks around, Piper archives each one of the little pieces of information that she notices scattered in those pictures and, even though her curiosity is thickening into something tangible, she files them (and her questions) away for later.

The only wall that is free from pictures and paintings is occupied by a large, impressively stocked library that oh so openly displays Alex's vast interest in many different topics, and also, more closely, the level of her brilliant intellect and formidable mind. Not to mention that the overfilled shelves are a testimony of her exquisite taste in literature, given the few titles and authors that Piper immediately catches, standing out to her at her first general glance.

The rest of the decor is also impeccable, elegant but not sumptuous. It's rather simple in fact, yet delicately refined at the same time. Just a few touches here and there that renders it special and quite unique.

She might not know every aspect, or has glimpsed and uncovered every beautiful flaw of the raven-haired woman, but the apartment reflects Alex's essence - her true beating core - quite perfectly. And she would know, because has had occasion to see, feel, and _experience it_ in first person in the most thorough, exhaustive ways during the most intimate moments, where such essence truly sparks to life in all its brightness.

Piper finds herself smiling at the few antiques that she finds laying around the living room - like the vintage turntable and the couple of floor lamps - charging the surroundings with that tiny spark of eccentricity that lends the place even more character, rendering it almost... picturesque without clashing too hard with the rest of the modern setting or give a shabby vibe. There are quite a few choices that intrigues her, and which story behind _tingle_ at her already buzzing curiosity.

As her thorough examination of the vast space comes to an end, her gaze lands once again on the raven-haired woman herself, cradled into the corner of the couch, framed by the large windows behind it and facing the city.

It's a sight that doesn't fail in making her heart flutter.

And she isn't talking about the breathtaking view of this part of the city currently getting tested to its limits by a particularly heavy snowfall. But she is talking about the woman at the center of that enticing frame.

Alex sits there, one leg stretched out before her on the cushions, the other lazily bent, and a deep frown creasing that little space between her eyebrows as she gazes down at her sling, looking as grumpy and restless as Piper herself would be if she were in her conditions.

She even winces in sympathy.

Limiting the movement of a wild creature like she very well knows Alex is, must be definitely driving her a bit insane. Although... For how much her heart aches in knowing how uncomfortable and frustrated she is, and for how much the thought of how she came by such injuries makes her stomach twist and her blood run hot and cold at once with sickening concern mingled with a boiling kind of anger, _and_ \- even though Piper is _very_ aware that it probably _shouldn't_... she can't help but find that pouted scowl so awfully _endearing_.

Also... Seeing her wearing something as comfortable as sweats and thick, gym socks - when all she has ever seen her with have been perfectly-tailored suits and dresses that fit and complimented her exquisite figure by putting on display all of her assets and mouthwatering curves - makes the ambiance all the more cozy and delightfully intimate. In a rather... _domestic_ way.

But Piper tries to still her heart when - as expected - it picks up speed in the moment that particular adjective rings in her head as _so_ appropriate given the current circumstances. Because there are a few others words that she could use and would fit just as appropriately with the ambiance created by the snowy evening spent indoors and the smell of spices like fresh rosemary, thyme and ginger, that she has found and used to prepare dinner - all while sneaking glances at Alex. Grinning whenever the raven-haired woman ducked her head and fiddled with her glasses in a delayed attempt to mask the fact that she too, has been stealing a few glances back at her.

The aroma of her finished, simple homemade meal lifts in the air, and those steamy strands wrap this moment together with a bow. And it's hard not to consider it as an _actual_ anticipated gift, especially given the fact that she was _almost_ letting go of hope.

 _Almost._

But now, as she finds herself here, sitting beside Alex on her couch, in her apartment, eating dinner with her, in this incredibly domestic setting after the raven-haired woman has not only listened to her apology (when all Piper expected was the door getting slammed in her face with the _"fuck you"_ that she deserved) but also _returned_ the depth of the sentiment that sizzles and flickers inside her own chest... She is immensely glad that she didn't give up.

Although, she can't say that she would have, _definitively_. In fact - stubborn as she is - she would have kept trying, relentlessly. Because Alex is _so_ worth it.

Among the unexpected little things that she finds out and that both amuses her and entertains her to no end, there is the one of hearing Alex humming and purring, softly, subtly - barely audibly - in the back of her throat when she eats, and it's just another one of those details, of those little traits that make her resemble all the more to that feline-like creature. So wild and oh so deeply affectionate under her nature - but who also seems to possess a few notions of domestication after all. And what is most reassuring and delightful to witness, is how surprisingly at ease she looks in such setting, curled up on the couch so... _cozily_ , even with her presence _here._ In the safe confines of _her home._

And the lack of even the most minimal trace of awkwardness is what soothes whatever remnant of doubt, replacing it with a profound comfort and contentment.

 **. . .**

Apparently - as Piper already suspected - it turns out that Alex must have been even more famished than she didn't want to admit, but it's an immense pleasure seeing that, despite the dull kind of pain she is still in and that tugs (subtly, yet noticeable) at her features with the occasional contained grimace that makes her shifts on her spot and change position, her appetite hasn't been affected by either her physical discomfort, the medications, or the occasional lightheadedness. Which is definitely another huge relief.

Piper has barely eaten half of what is in her plate when Alex finishes hers.

"That was... excellently good." The raven-haired woman compliments after having oh so politely wiped her mouth with the napkin. A mannerism that makes Piper's lips twitch in yet another smile.

But for how authentic and flattering it is to receive such compliment, she can't not hear that note of mild surprise that seeps in Alex's deep, sweetly husky voice.

"Don't sound _so_ surprised." Piper teases, flashing her a playful smirk to show that she isn't in the least offended by that unconscious inflection and tilt of surprise in her tone.

In response, Alex chuckles. That same gently raspy chuckle of hers that has made Piper feel _things_ since the moment she heard it for the first time, and that even now creates that pleasant hollow-like/fluttery feeling in her belly.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." And then there is _that smile_. That teasing little _curl_ at the corner of her mouth that combined with the sound of her soft laugh is enough to almost make Piper _swoon_ and forget about that unintentional slip in her tone and expression.

"Because of your work and the long hours..." Alex explains. "I guess I might have just pinned you for someone who ordered out or often went out to restaurants to have business lunches and dinners."

As a matter of fact, _she does_. And she definitely can't blame the raven-haired woman for making such assumption about her, even though she feels the need to clarify that "It doesn't happen often. Generally, I do tend to go out to meet with clients and discuss business over lunch as you said, but... even though I'm _hardly_ a chef, I do enjoy cooking something for myself every once in a while." She confesses, thinking about the far too few evening she used to spend at home instead than hunched over reports at her desk in the empty building before she decided to take Polly's "advice". And _how glad_ she is about taking it. She would have never thought that she would smile thinking back about that heated argument she had with her business partner... She really owns her. _Twice_.

"-even if it is something like an unimpressive and plain chicken stir fry." She concludes then, earning another one of those sweetly raspy chuckles.

"Well, I don't know anything about _plain_ , because _that_ was amazing," Alex compliments her again, sincerely, as she leans forward to set her empty plate on the coffee table. "And thank you, by the way." She also adds, gratefully, and of all the smiles that Piper has seen gracing those soft, rosy lips over the past couple of months, this one looks unexpectedly sheepish, in the most _adorable_ way that consequently makes her own smile blossom to its full range, digging twin dimples on her cheeks, now tinged in a soft shade of pink.

"You're welcome." She replies, and the moment of silence that follows, is as light and comforting as they have always been between them.

Or at least it is until Alex diverts her gaze and ducks her head, with this... pensive look suddenly creasing her features.

Concerned, Piper sets her plate on the coffee table beside Alex's empty one before scooting closer to the raven-haired woman, quietly, carefully, to not risk to unintentionally spooking her.

" _Hey,_ " She whispers, softly, yet loudly enough to be heard and gently tear Alex back from the thoughts she has plunged into. "You okay there?"

Luckily it doesn't seem to be physical discomfort, although she is hardly relieved by the _other_ possible reason...

The thought that Alex might be reconsidering all of this is still there, poking at the edge of her mind, making her heart beat faster with trepidation, mostly because a part of her still can't believe to be actually here, and that Alex has not only listened and already accepted part of her apology, but also returned the fierceness of the affection that they have both been struggling with, and that brought them to surrender to its indomitable ferocity.

Alex lifts her head at the soothing sound of her voice and the feeling of her hand resting gently on her uninjured forearm, blinking her green eyes to regain focus and then... Right when Piper was about to spiral down that path of self- destructive thoughts, she sees _it._

That curl tugging so gently the corner Alex's mouth.

That soft smile that for how light, it's so deeply reassuring and soothing right now.

"Yeah," Alex nods. "It's just..." She pauses, her eyes shifting to her empty plate on the coffee table before meeting her gaze again for a fleeting moment.

"I guess there aren't a lot of things we know about each other, are there?" The raven-haired woman asks her, no doubt referring to the surprise of finding out about her clearly unexpected "cooking abilities".

Once again, Piper is anything but offended. Especially when Alex justifies her trail of thoughts with a reasonable "We never got the chance to... you know... Get to _know_ and learn this kind of things about each other."

She makes an excellent point.

And Piper would be lying if she said that she hasn't been considering such thing herself, actually.

And now that it gets represented in front of her again, she can't not take such question into a more _thorough_ consideration; turning it over and over in her head, realizing that for how much Alex might be right on an aspect... she is not as much in the _other_ one.

Sure, they have never gotten the chance to get too personal given the kind of arrangement they had but... They ended up crossing that thin line anyway. And it was because of the little things. Of the lingering glances, the bantering, and the intimate touches that (paradoxically so) were _too intimate_ , even considering their agreement and the nature of the contract that bound them.

Piper has fallen in love in seeing all them. From the first glimpses, to the more substantial aspects of the raven-haired woman that displayed her kindness and profound thoughtfulness.

She has experience the essence of Alex's true, beating core, from her deep, sincere, heartwarming consideration, to that equally insufferable and delightful teasing nature sprinkled with that pinch of cockiness, rendered all the more intriguing by the brilliance and profound knowledge that the raven-haired woman possesses, and that she has caught a few glimpses of here and there. And yet, it's also something that Alex, for some reason, insists in keeping all veiled by that even more attractive layer of modesty that Piper has _never_ seen anyone wearing with such flawless elegance before.

"We have all the time we want to make up for that." She answers at last, softly, smiling just as gently and reassuringly when those green eyes lock with hers, but also careful in layering her voice with a hint of tentativeness that actually helps in conveying that silent " _if you want to_ ". Because mutual comfort is something that Alex has insisted on very seriously since day one with her, and considering how... _new_ the raven-haired woman has admitted being in all of this (just like herself) the least Piper feels she can do - no matter how curious she is to know everything about her - is return that profound thoughtfulness and respect.

Alex diverts her gaze, pensively, and, at last, Piper gives in to that overwhelming need that has her reaching out to take Alex's hand in hers, stroking her knuckles with the pad of her thumb. Their fingers intertwine with the most absolute easiness, just like their bodies have done _that night_ , with such naturalness, flawlessly molding against the other's. And even if right now the gesture elicits some surprise, it gets accepted and welcomed with warmth, leaving Piper reveling in feeling that tension that was seizing up Alex finally _melt_ under the gentleness of such a simple touch.

It's encouraging enough, and so she decides to take the occasion to push a bit _further_ by actually taking a small step _back_.

"Earlier you said that you have never done this before," She recalls, reminding Alex as well, who gazes up at her and nods in confirmation.

"Well, I have never done this either..." Piper confesses, and there is no shame. It's rather matter-of-factly and... it's also unexpectedly, oddly comforting actually. Saying it out loud. It might be because of the honesty in itself, but... She doesn't know for sure. There might be more to that than she realizes at the moment.

Whatever else it might be, among the doubts and questions stirring in her mind, there is one truth that emerges with particular firmness.

"But... I want to know _everything_ about you, Alex."

She does.

Even though it all depends on how much Alex is willing and comfortable to share.

But there is nothing more than she wants than learn every little thing, to figure out every single detail that makes Alex the person she is. So true to herself and proud. So well-rounded and compelling.

And when she sees those rosy lips twitch into that hinted smile, she knows that she has succeeded, and not only in delivering her reassurance.

" _Everything,_ uh?" Alex asks her, with _that glint_ of playfulness shimmering in her also smiling, stunning green eyes.

And since she seems in the mood to be a little playful, well... Piper just _can't_ resist the temptation.

"Well... Actually, I guess that you should probably know that I might have discovered your secret stash of sugar-free treats already." She reveals, because of course, she can't just let such occasion slip. After all, who would have expected Alex - who keeps all kinds of fruit and vegetables in her fridge along with lean meat and cups of greek yogurt (which have only confirmed Piper's long theory about the raven-haired woman being into a very mindful, careful and healthy nutrition to keep her excellent, exquisite shape) - to also have a secret stash of sugar free cookies and wafers that she might have spotted - hidden timidly in a corner - while she was sorting through the contents of unfamiliar cabinets in search for spices to prepare dinner.

And there is no describing the delight that she takes when, for once, she finally succeeds in catching Alex by surprise. Her strong frame stiffens up and her green eyes widen, guiltily.

 _Caught._

"I-I..." Even her firm, deep voice _shakes_ with sudden nervousness when she tries to come up with an explanation. "I keep those around for when Nicky comes by." She is so seized by embarrassment that she even tries to pin it _on her partner_ , the liar. And hearing such a ridiculous excuse only succeeds in making Piper's smile stretch into a smirk.

"Of course you do," She plays along, barely managing to keep the laugh bubbling inside her chest contained when Alex diverts her gaze downwards and fiddles awkwardly with her glasses. And it's just _such_ a sweet sight that it is more than sufficient payback for that time that the raven-haired woman has teased her when she revealed how her desk drawer was filled with emergency candy bars. She takes the next couple of seconds to bask in the sight of a slightly embarrassed, oddly shy-looking Alex before continuing, bringing the conversation back on track.

"Either way," She resumes, because making her feel _too awkward_ is not something she is trying to accomplish. "This... _discovery_ checks out at least one of the boxes from that long list I have about the things I want to know about you."

Surprisingly (or maybe not given that a part of her kind of expected as much) Alex doesn't even try to defend herself with some other excuse. She just sighs, rolling her eyes in front of her cocky, awfully satisfied smile.

"Fine..." She surrenders, and Piper thinks that she might have yielded far too soon and easily though, but that's probably just to not give her the satisfaction of gloating excessively.

"So..." Alex clears her throat and shifts in her seat, turning on her side to face her better and leaning back against the armrest of the couch, seeking for a more comfortable position. "Should we go ahead and get the embarrassing stuff out of the way first since we are already there, or is there _something else_ you'd prefer to discuss and make fun of me?"

Piper grins. Because while making fun of or make Alex uncomfortable in any way is the last thing that she wants, she is glad that the raven-haired woman is so much at ease with this "sharing" part to even make her such an offer, and also looking quite willing to actually _go there_ if she desired as much.

It's _surely_ tempting, but...

"For how much I would like to know what other embarrassing little things you keep hidden, and for how _curious_ I am to find out about what kind of troubles you used to get into when you were younger," Because there is simply _no way_ that a younger Alex Vause hasn't gotten into some not-so-innocent trouble at least once or twice given her rather wild nature - which she has a feeling was even _wilder_ in her early days.

"I would like to know..." She pauses, her voice trailing off as she contemplates, thinking about a bunch of possibilities before getting to one of the most comfortable and also obvious solutions given how they are both so deeply committed to their respective jobs. And considering that it's directly linked to how they met... Well, her first question couldn't be anything other than:

"Tell me about how and why you have decided to open a sex club."

She might actually have her own theory about why Alex has decided to run this kind of business, but... She'd rather not make assumptions or jump to any conclusion anymore and just let the raven-haired woman tell her about it and then see if it matches with her own ideas.

"Tell me about why you chose Nicky as a partner." She also adds, because Alex definitely hasn't chosen her randomly. And just like that, another idea instantly pops in her mind at the mention of the petite woman who almost (with reason) bit her head off earlier this evening.

"Tell me about you and Nicky." She prompts excitedly, shifting in her seat to get more comfortable on the couch, because _that one_ seems like _a good_ story indeed. "How did you two meet?"

Unexpectedly, Alex laughs.

Maybe it is because of the amount of excitement that she puts in each question, but then...

"I thought you wanted to skip _past_ the embarrassing stuff, kid."

And Piper should have known better. Because _of course_ there was something at least a little embarrassing behind such encounter. She even expected as much.

However, she is about to tell Alex that she doesn't have to tell her the story if she feels uncomfortable, but that's not _quite_ the feeling that she sees rippling into those stunning green lakes all of a sudden, and before she can have a chance to say anything at all, Alex speaks again.

"But that's fine," The raven-haired woman assures, offering her a smile, although Piper can't help but notice the... _strange_ way it tugs at her features.

Even her eyes seem to grow a bit distant as a mixture of emotions surfaces when such memory gets stirred.

Unfortunately, Alex diverts her gaze before she can have a chance to understand what it might be, but she recognizes it as soon as she sees her ducking her head, and notices that little smile twitching at the corner of her mouth.

It's a blend of an old sadness, regret, and self-reprimand, but which contrastingly layer made of a somehow pleasant comforting bitter-sweet melancholy glint that she sees shimmering into those green eyes when Alex meets her gaze again, hold Piper back from dismissing the question generated by her curiosity.

She wants to know the reason behind such look.

Although she hardly expects Alex to smirk and start her tale by asking her if, "Have you ever heard the one of the junkie and a drunk walking in a police station?"

 **. . .**

 _"Hey, hey! Don't I get a call or something? Hey!" The officer slides the cell door closed and just walks away with a bored expression and sleepy eyes, leaving her there without an answer and with the floor spinning under her feet when she looks down. "Asshole." She mumbles under her breath._

"Did he mirandaze you?"

 _The sound of that new voice coming from within the cell catches her by surprise._

 _She turns around in a flash to take in the surrounding and find the source, but doing it too fast turns out to be a mistake. Her head spins even faster and she has to close her eyes, groaning at the sudden dizziness, and when she blinks them open again all she sees is this mass of reddish-blonde hair laying down on a cot._

 _"What?" She asks narrowing her eyes to try still her vision more than to try and make out the outline of that... figure._

 _"Did he read you your rights?" The talking blurred bush of reddish curls asks her again, forcing her to do something as unmentionable as think about the past ten minutes, but all she remembers and comes up with is a haze of street lights flashing from behind a car window, and then stumbling all over her own feet. All with the taste of alcohol and despair tainting her mouth to keep her company beside the cold bite of the handcuffs on her wrists and the demanding hand of the police officer holding her up and guiding her down the stairs by the arm._

 _"I don't think so." She answers at last, rubbing at her newly freed wrists to make the blood flow. "Bastard took my belt and shoe laces though." She grumbles looking down at her laces-free leather boots and the empty loops of her jeans._

 _The faded red voluminous cloud sits upright on the cot then, revealing the round face of a young woman, and a pair of big dark eyes blinking back at her._

 _"That's because they think you might... you know." The young woman mimicks a hanging, making a strangled, chocked sound and sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth._

 _Alex narrows her eyes, bracing herself against one of the cell bars to keep from swaying. "I'm not suicidal." She simply states, remembering - as she says so - about telling the exact thing but a few minutes ago at the officer that brought her here and took her stuff._

 _Her mind is already starting to clear up, and she doesn't like it one bit. Because as soon as that dense haze of alcohol will lift, she'll soon be reminded of the reason that brought her to seek the numbness offered by the booze in the first place._

 _"Well, that's good to know, kid." The voice rings out from her thought, forcing her to meet the very unappealing reality she has managed to get into._

 _"Also, if he didn't mirandaze you it means you are just stuck here with me for the night then." The petite woman reassures her, watching her as she stands up from the cot, from where a few balled-up candy wrappers roll down and on the floor. "Or at least until you get your shit together."_

 _Alex surprises herself with the laugh that bubbles inside her chest and bursts free from her lips in a scoff._

 _"Yeah well, that might take longer than just the night I'm afraid." She counters._

 _"Sobering up might be a good start," The petite woman points out, shrugging before looking down at the soda that she is holding._

 _"Here," She says, extending her hand and offering her what turns out is a can of coke. "This might help a little with that and the splitting headache you are going to have in a while."_

 _To Alex, the prospect of sobering up is less than appealing, as it is the one of drinking from where_ a stranger _\- a stranger who might as well be a homeless woman given her... messy, disheveled appearance - has been drinking. But she hardly cares about anything at this point. Even though... the possibility of diminishing her looming hungover state wins out in the end. And so, she accepts._

 _"Thanks." She says as she grabs the offered can which she surprisingly finds out being still sealed._

 _The petite woman, however, dismisses her seemingly unnecessary gratitude with another shrug as Alex opens up the can and takes the first sip._

 _It's refreshing and it washes some of that awful taste of despair from her mouth, which helps in making her feel a bit more like her normal self, enough to push forward for a conversation with who seems like is going to be her cellmate._

 _"So..." She starts, tentatively. "Did you drink the other half of the world dry of whiskey or what?"_

 _The young woman appraises her through narrowed eyes and the unexpected curl of a subtle smile gracing her lips._

 _"You know, I've not been mirandized either," She informs, seemingly off topic at first. "And even though you don't look like a narc, I'm still going to plead the fifth on that." She says, sitting back down on the cot and pointedly looking at a camera located on one of the corners of the ceiling, blinking back at them with an accusing, judging red light._

 _Alex doesn't actually need a confirmation though. She can get her theory straight even in her current wavering and still disoriented conditions after a simple look around the cot occupied by the young woman._

 _The several candy bars wrappers that she has noticed lying around and the sugary soft drink - not to mention the jitters that are making the young woman bounce her knee up and down relentlessly - are all signs that put together speak loud enough on their own._

 _"You high?" She asks, bluntly, uncensored, going for direct, stripped from that refined subtlety that she usually possesses and that, right now, is nowhere to be seen. Just like her balance and soberness. For a moment she thinks that she might have been_ too _blunt and that it's none of her business anyway, but then she sees this unexpected_ grin _stretching across the petite woman's face._

 _"Oh come on now, look at me." Her cellmate prompts, gesturing up and down to her stature. "I couldn't get any_ higher _than five feet even if I'd get on top of this bed_ and _on my tippy toes."_

 _Alex chuckles._

She is funny.

 _Or maybe she is still way too wasted... as she gets soon reminded when she sways one more time on her feet._

 _She even manages to trip on her laces-free boots, and would have most definitely fallen backwards if it wasn't for the hand that reaches out to grab her by the arm._

 _"Whoa, steady there. Here, take a seat." The petite woman offers, sliding on the opposite side of the cot to make some more space, all while holding her and guiding her to sit down._

 _And, surprisingly, Alex finds herself accepting the offer, because the world is spinning too fast and her already upset stomach is not finding it very pleasant._

 _"Thank you..._ uh- _" She squints her eyes, searching in her messy, most recent memories for a clue or mentioning of the young woman's name, only to realize that she actually hasn't revealed it. But there is hardly any need for her to ask._

 _"Name's Nicky." Her cellmate promptly supplies._

 _And as Alex sits down, the world stops spinning enough for a moment to allow her to see the kindness lying into dark eyes that are hunted with resentment and disappointment and plain old pain that could as well be a mirror to the one that has been wrecking her own insides for the past week._

 _"Alex." She supplies, and the young woman-_ Nicky _smiles._

 _"Nice to meet you, Alex," She politely replies shaking her hand, before gesturing to the surroundings; all metal bars, stone walls and the smell of poor choices._

 _"And welcome in the box. Let me give you a tour..." She offers with the impeccable pretense of an actual host. "The decor isn't much, I know, but over there- there is the toilet," She gestures to the opposite corner of the cell. "-to which I would suggest you stay away from even if you had the worst case of dysentery_ _ever." The petite woman advices. "And as you can see, this piece of cloud over here," She introduces patting on the stone-hard cot beneath them. "Is the bed. A nice, fully accessorized suite, isn't it?"_

"Exclusive." _Alex grumbles just as sarcastically. "Given your familiarity with this place I take it you come here often?" She inquires then before taking another sip from the can._

 _"Oh yeah," Nicky rasps. "I make a reservation for every weekend. Trust me, the Four Seasons has_ nothing _to this place." She quips, throwing her a wink. And for the first time in over a week, Alex finds herself laughing. A real humorous laugh that almost makes her choke on her sip of coke._

 **. . .**

As Alex brings her tale to an end, she can't fight the amused little smile twitching at the corner of her mouth in front of the look shaping Piper's features and widening her big blue eyes with disbelief.

"You..." The young woman blinks, incredulous, making her smile grow bigger and more visible. "You guys met _in jail_?"

And then, upon hearing that tone laced with that thread made of skepticism and shock, Alex doesn't even try to contain the chuckle that ends up slipping from her lips.

" _Drunk tank,_ " She corrects. "It was a holding cell in one of the precincts downtown, used to keep in for the night whoever got picked up for intoxication until they sobered up enough before getting released."

"O-oh," Piper nods, the disbelief in her wide eyes melting into understanding, even though there is still a shade of doubt weighing on her features. A doubt that she doesn't delay to voice.

"So you didn't... _like_... ah..."

"Got arrested?" Alex suggests. "No, the officer let me go with a warning and an AA flyer, probably because filling up paperwork looked like too much work for him that night. But that was enough for me." She states. "I've never got the chance to get fully _committed_ to either drugs or alcohol." _luckily_ , she silently adds.

"I... I was just going through a rough period, that's all." She supplies, vaguely. Diverting her gaze.

For how much she hoped that she would have been able to dismiss it as such and leave the matter like that, when she tentatively lifts her head again and sees Piper looking at her so intently, she can practically _read_ the question in the clear rippling surface of those blue eyes and... even though she is not particularly looking forward to get over what happened back then, she just decides to provide the answer to that silent yet obvious question.

"My mom had just died."

There.

She even ducks her head when she says it, because she doesn't want to see the look in Piper's eyes at that revelation, nor she wants the young woman seeing the tears that instantly well up in hers.

"I wasn't around much at the time." Or _at all_ , she chastises, and it still _stings_. "Or I had been for months." She admits eventually when she manages to swallow down that spiky ball of twine that gets stuck in her throat.

It's the feeling of a hand slipping into hers what makes her look up again.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Alex." Piper whispers, looking genuinely pained. A sympathetic expression in front of which Alex simply nods, subtly and half-rolls her uninjured shoulder in a shrug.

"It's okay," She lies... But, "It was _a long_ time ago." She reassures, as if it is supposed to make some kind of difference. As if time has lessened the pain, rendering it fainter.

 _It hasn't._

"Guilt plays some dirty tricks on you." She says, sharing what she has learned back then, taking an unexpected surge of comfort from that soft, warm hand that has slipped so easily and naturally into hers.

"And even though alcohol has a way to make you feel better for a few hours, it wasn't enough, especially when I felt like _shit_ for entire days afterwards." She explains before getting back to the one that was Piper's first question.

"So alcohol and drugs got us both in trouble," Well... Nicky into much more, actually. But she doesn't feel like there is a need to specify that. "And we wanted to do something different and original, not just open a simple bar like the thousand in the city. And there was only one healthy and deeply _entertaining_ option we both have always loved exploring. _Not_ between ourselves though." She assures in advance, smirking, having already caught _that_ suspicious _look_ in Piper's eyes.

"But how did you... I mean," The young businesswoman pauses as she elaborates the new information. "It can't have been easy opening your club even after sex clubs have been made legal."

 _Says the woman who has managed to build her own company at an exceptionally young age,_ Alex thinks, but refrains from pointing it out to her.

"There were some... papers involved," She simply summarizes. "And we didn't start right away as a sex club... _exactly_." She also explains, reticently, preferring to skip past that not-quite-legal part about her club before such business had actually been declared legal. "But I still focused on the bureaucratic side and finding the right location while Nicky put a good part of the money in the project."

And just like that, as Alex should have probably expected, Piper's eyes widen again with immense surprise in hearing such detail.

"Nicky _put the_..." Her voice trails off, eyes squinting as she leans forward, as if she might have heard her wrong. "But I always thought that it was _you_ the one who-" She doesn't get to finish her question though. Halting herself there. Her cheeks tinging with that lovely shade of pink. "I'm sorry, that was totally rude and prejudicial, I didn't mean to assume _anything_ or-"

Alex can't help but chuckle at that short rambling, and the sound is enough to stop the young businesswoman's string of unnecessary apologies.

"It's fine." She reassures. "Even when I met her that night in that grimy, squalid holding cell and saw her wearing nothing but torn jeans, worn out boots and rags... I honestly thought she lived on the street." She shamelessly admits.

"I would have never guessed that she came from one of the wealthiest families in the city." Sometimes it's a knowledge that still surprises her, too.

"And even if it wasn't the best way to deal with it - as it wasn't mine - her own family situation made her life choices at the time much more justifiable."

She leaves it like that, and Piper respects it, politely deciding to not inquire further, probably in self-preservation to not risk stumbling all over her own words again. Fighting oh so bravely against the curiosity that is visibly bubbling under the surface, limiting her response to such information to a simple understanding nod.

"So you guys leaned against each other during the hard times." Piper assumes, flashing her a tentative smile that Alex immediately returns, even if her gaze remains distant, lingering in the past she has just re-visited, because her friend sure made those dark times look that tiny bit brighter, until something good came out from all of that.

Her smile twitches that tiny bit higher, taking away that slightly bitter aftertaste from those memories.

"We did."

 **. . .**

Piper has never found it quite as easy to talk another person as she does with Alex. Even if it's true that during their _sessions_ there wasn't much talking that didn't revolve around the session itself. A very _specific_ kind of talk in fact. But they sure had their stolen moments. Usually afterwards. Coated by an infinite tenderness and consideration that went all beyond professional and rendered the experience much more meaningful, thickening it into something far more real than their respective roles. Therefore making that kind of _interaction_ quite _forbidden._

It turns out that Alex is - just like she knew and expected her to be - a very good listener besides an entertaining and skilled storyteller with a seemingly infinite array of anecdotes.

The fact that since alcohol and drugs have gotten both her and her best friend in trouble has also, consequently, made them first drunkenly joke about opening a nightclub, and then into turning it into a sex club, relying on the _other_ experience that they have both always loved to indulge into and found a much deeper satisfaction in and benefits - making their business about pleasure. Dealing with a healthy solution to go through fears and help (as Piper believes it has helped herself, immensely so) in self-exploration.

They talk for the rest of the evening, unaware of the snowstorm currently burying the city under a thick white mantle; falling so beautifully, so magically behind them that it's almost mesmerizing. But not as much as the puzzle that represents Alex Vause. An image that becomes more and more clear to her with every piece of information that she manages to obtain from the raven-haired woman. The segments of every single piece start to blur, melding with the ones nearby, until all there is left, is the limpid representation of the woman she has fallen in love with.

Showing all the flaws and scars of who has suffered from loss. A kind of pain that has rendered her afraid of commitment and, mostly, to the kind of attachment that it would have brought.

Her past, and that deep fear of loss brought her to avoid (if not step with extreme reluctance into) any kind of relationship, explaining a lot about her tentative, careful approach.

And as if the fact of losing the most important woman in her life so suddenly, so unexpectedly, hasn't been traumatic enough...

"...I have seen my best friend wither because of a relationship and a break up that left her in pieces and couldn't get over." Alex explains, ducking her head and shaking it as if to dispel those memories, before admitting - with a mild shade of self-consciousness - that "It might have made me... _more cautious_ in that department as well."

And so, just like that, even Nicky's fierce protectiveness towards her friend (which Piper has experienced firsthand earlier this same evening) gets properly explained. And the reason behind it, now that she has been given those few additional pieces picturing Alex trying to get her best friend on her feet and pick her up again and again whenever she stumbled and derailed, it's the kind of behavior born from profound sisterly affection that Piper can't help but find all the more heartwarming.

She can hardly blame Alex for being _cautious_ after seeing her friend going through such an ordeal. Although... she does blame _herself_ for being at least responsible in tipping the raven-haired woman off that delicate balance she had found and was finding at her own pace with... _someone else._

"I'm sorry..." She apologizes, swallowing down the lump that forms in her throat at the thought of Alex and that woman, sitting at that outdoor bar in the park, hand in hand. Even if now she knows what was actually going on then, and that the sentiments weren't returned, that image still haunts her. And her heart still clenches rather painfully as a consequence.

"It's okay," Alex simply dismisses her concern. "I got the chance to focus on other things. Like making renovations in the club once things became _officially_ legal." She jokes, and it's then that Piper realizes that Alex hasn't gotten the exact reason behind her apology.

"No, I mean, _I'm sorry_..." She repeats, earning a tilt of confusion and a furrowed brow that prompts her to explain and articulate beyond that stubborn knot of... jealousy and guilt that is still there, knotted in between her chest and stomach. "I... I didn't mean- I didn't _know_ I was getting in the way of _something_ between you _and_..."

She just lets her voice trail off, but she hardly needs to continue and specify. Because a moment later realization smooths out Alex's beautiful features, widening her green eyes behind the lenses of her dark-framed glasses.

"You didn't get in the way of anything, Piper." The raven-haired woman assures her, but Piper still feels that tug of _doubt_ within her chest.

"What I was trying out with Sylvia..."

 _Sylvia._

The redhead has a name now.

And... it was somehow _easier_ when she _didn't_ have one.

When she was just a nameless, attractive woman that Alex was seeing and had forgotten to mention.

Even just hearing it is enough to make Piper stiffen up, and make _that thing_ sitting heavily in her stomach twist and turn uncomfortably on itself. Growing spikes that poke at her insides.

"It just..." Alex continues, getting back her attention and distracting her enough from that awful, unfamiliar feeling. "It wasn't working out the way I expected it to."

It's... It's actually oddly comforting to hear her make such a confession. To have the confirmation that it wasn't her unintentional, unplanned involvement that got Alex to back off from that non-evolving relationship.

Even though - selfishly so - she couldn't be gladder that she did.

"Also..." Alex resumes, and there is this smile on her face, this tiny hint of shyness sparking through and that on it's own is able to soothe that feeling in the pit of her stomach, which instantly erupts into a series of violent flutters when Alex concludes by confessing to her that, "I couldn't ignore the way I was starting to feel when I was with you."

And then, there is simply _nothing_ that can prevent that huge smile from stretching across her face into a full, dimpled grin upon hearing such confession.

A smile in front of which Alex rolls her eyes, groaning in that unmistakably affectionate way.

"Ugh... I should have known better than feed _that monster_ that is your _ego_." She half-sighs half-mumbles, self-reprimanding.

So _blazing_ is the embarrassment that flares on her cheeks, shifting into outrage, that Piper doesn't even _think_ when she defensively _swats_ Alex.

At least she doesn't hit her where she is hurting.

But, even though the first reaction that she earns is an amused laugh, all those mixed feelings simply vanish into nothing when (barely an instant later) she sees the grimace tugging so sudden and heavily at Alex's features as her hand reaches up to instinctively and protectively cradle her injured shoulder.

Instinct takes over her defensiveness at once, bringing Piper on her in a flash. Worry churning in her stomach, tensing her up with apprehension in front of Alex's plain discomfort.

"Oh god Alex, I'm _so_ sorry!" She feels pretty useless though since she doesn't even know what to do with her hands; whether she should check on her or do nothing, afraid that she might hurt her worse.

"It's okay," Alex assures her through a hiss, and then, something that leaves Piper rather puzzled. "It wasn't _you_."

She shifts in her position and releases a groan. "It's this _fucking_ sling." She growls, pointedly glaring at the uncomfortable accessory holding her arm still. Apparently _far too still,_ actually.

Piper winces in sympathy and the only thing she can offer in return, is the only one she can do. "You want me to loosen up the straps a little?"

At first, she is just so concerned that she doesn't even think about the way she has just _phrased_ such question, but then she sees the _curl_ that tugs slowly at Alex's lips, turning that wince into an actual _smirk_ , and just like that, a soft hue of pink starts scalding her cheeks.

"Well..." Of course, even when caught in the grasp of pain, Alex is simply unable to let such a chance slip through her fingers like that and miss the occasion to tease her.

"Now _that_ sounded a bit role-reversal, didn't it?"

 _Ugh._

God, that insufferable smirk widens even more and... And Piper can pretend to be annoyed all she wants, but the way her heart _leaps_ and _flutters_ in her chest at the sight of it betrays her.

"But yes please," Alex accepts her offer at last, when she clearly can't ignore her discomfort any longer.

"Even though I doubt that it would do much for the stiffness in my neck and back." She adds, grumbling under her breath with annoyance.

And it's then, when Alex describes that kind of soreness that Piper's eyes brighten with an idea. One that she has been carrying around in her purse for weeks, _precisely_. And that she almost forgot about.

"Actually..." She ponders, halting herself before she can reach for the first strap of Alex's sling, standing up, smiling, much to the raven-haired woman's puzzlement, who tilts her head and frowns at her. "I might have something that could help with that."

 **. . .**

Piper feels unusually nervous when she returns to the couch with the little vial in one hand and a soft, warm, damp cloth in the other.

Which is simply _ridiculous._

She has never felt nervousness whenever she presented a product to their investors.

But then she reminds herself that this _isn't_ a product, but rather a gift. And Alex isn't _an investor,_ but the woman who makes her heart leap in her chest with every glance, every smile. So she decides that her jitters are somehow justified.

"What's that?" Alex asks when she returns, her gaze shifting between her occupied hands with a look that is somewhere in between puzzlement and plain amusement.

"This," Piper says, holding up the little vial as she kneels on the opposite spot on the couch, this time right beside Alex's injured side. "Is essential oil."

For a moment, those green eyes squint that tiny bit further before widening in realization.

"Essential- _oh..._ " Clearly, Alex wasn't expecting _that_. And Piper takes that look of intrigue and surprise as a win.

"It's not medicinal." She stresses. "But it might actually help a little in relaxing your muscles. I've-" She halts herself there, already feeling her cheeks heating up with that shyness that only Alex has been able to elicit in her _in years._

" _You have_...?" Alex prompts her, curiously, with that gentle, subtle note of teasing and the curl of a barely suppressed smile tugging at the corner of her mouth in that way that is _so_ infuriatingly _attractive._

"I... have made it specifically for you actually," Piper confesses at last, flashing a flustered little smile before diverting her gaze again, barely in time before she can see the surprise on Alex's face as she registers that information, shifting once again into one of those fuller smirks adorned with a flash of sharp white teeth.

"And I'm so glad that I have decided to add some lavender and eucalyptus into the mixture." Piper continues, rambling, hoping that it will keep Alex from making any kind of teasing comment following her confession. Focusing instead on the matter at hand; pouring some drops of the oil on the warm, damp cloth before folding it. "They should help in soothing some pain, too." She explains. "Here, just let me..."

After another few seconds spent squirming and trying not to go up in flames in front of that lingering smile, Alex moves her luscious long dark hair aside and tilts her head forward, exposing the creamy skin of her neck to allow her to lay the warm damp compress. She is careful in tucking it slightly under her sweatshirt and make sure that it covers as much of her trapezius as possible.

It takes a few careful movements, but even with the sling standing in the way she manages. And then, that mild embarrassment and light flare of shyness that have sparked in her belly and showed on her cheeks, all elicited by the subtle teasing that Alex has put her through during the past couple of minutes - it gets instantly erased and replaced by pure delight when she feels and sees the way the raven-haired woman melts under the warm, soothing effect of the warm compress, releasing a soft hummed groan of relief.

"Like I said it's not medicinal," Piper repeats though as she adjusts the straps on the sling to hang slightly more loose and provide Alex a little more comfort. "So if you are in actual pain you should probably take the pills that the doctor has given you."

She is already looking among the things on the coffee table to see if she can spot the bottle of painkillers lying around when she catches sight of Alex tilting her head up again from the corner of her eye, bringing her attention back to her... and to that _smirk_.

"I can manage some pain every now and then."

God, she is such a tease that not even pain itself can keep her from throwing innuendos anywhere she can apparently.

"So... how long have you been carrying around this... _phial,_ exactly?" Alex asks then as she reaches for the little bottle, examining it closely. It's so small that no one who doesn't have this kind of passion like Piper has, would _ever_ imagine how much time it has taken her making it. From carefully selecting the flowers and natural oil, macerating them, and then cooking the whole concoction for several hours, slowly, more than just one time, _separately_. All to make sure that the flowers would release their individual essence. And all of that to obtain a mere 10 ml vial of this particular, unique blend with light balsamic notes that, much to her delight, makes Alex hum in approval when she inhales more deeply to savor its fragrance.

"It really smells amazing by the way." The raven-haired woman comments.

And just like that, the soft, tingling heat that was starting to flare on Piper's cheeks after hearing Alex's suspicious question, gets smoothed and cooled. Because that tiny bottle might have actually been rolling around the bottom of her purse for a few weeks now. Waiting for the right occasion. And even though she is glad that it _finally_ presented, she definitely hoped it was under different circumstances that didn't have Alex in her current conditions.

"Longer than I won't admit." She answers at last and her embarrassed reticence earns her one of those deeply amused, slightly raspy chuckles that slips past Alex's lips with all of her humor and that note of endearment that Piper might even find sparkling on the surface of those stunning emerald lakes when she dares to glance towards her.

As their eyes lock, however, that smirk dims into a softer smile that gains back that almost imperceptible curl of what _isn't_ (and yet looks an awful lot _like_ ) a glimpse shyness.

"Thank you." Alex whispers with gratefulness. And since Piper is currently unable to find her voice and isn't sure if she would be able to utter a single word with the smile that stretches across her face and that elicits her another one of those soft, sweetly raspy chuckles, she just leans in and kisses her. Smiling even wider against those impossibly tender, rosy lips in the moment Alex purrs into the kiss when she - distractedly - slips her hand through that marvelous, long, dark hair, and - just as delicately - massages the back of her neck.

 **. . .**

Maybe it is the atmosphere.

This lazy, unfamiliar, yet pleasant and extremely cozy new ambiance wrapped in dim lightings that meets the restlessness of the snowfall raging outside in that stillness of silence that is only occasionally followed by a whispered howl of wind that seeps muted through the closed windows.

Or maybe it is the old-remedy of the warm damp cloth resting on the back of her neck, soothing her sore muscles and relaxing her with its delicately balsamic and flowery fragrance what makes her so uncharacteristically drowsy within the next ten minutes.

It's so sudden and crashing that - through heavy eyelids - she even throws a humorously suspicious "What kind of _herbs_ did you put in that oil, _exactly_?"

Piper chuckles, clearly entertained by her sleepiness and amused by such allusion.

"I think you are just tired, baby." The young businesswoman states affectionately before pointing out that "Staying awake for twenty-four hours or so because of a mild concussion might do that to you."

In all honesty, Alex had almost forgotten about _that_ obvious reason, if not about the pain throbbing (even if kind of dully now - _thankfully_ ) in her shoulder.

She can't remember the last time she went to bed before midnight. And... it's actually a little embarrassing. As it is the fact that she simply can't keep her eyes open.

She can definitely endure that mild discomfort without painkillers. But the sleepiness... even when she tries to smother a yawn against the back of her hand, her lack of nonchalance and casualness give her away quite easily.

"Come on," Piper suggests, slipping her hand into hers and giving it a little tug and a gentle squeeze. "Let's get you to bed."

Alex looks at that smile, and then down where their joined hands are resting on the couch cushion, looking at the way their fingers are laced together. With such easiness and naturalness.

She might as well be falling asleep right there, she reasons, because she feels like she might already be toeing that thin line where emotions merge into that thick haze that makes them paradoxically all the more real and substantial. A feeling that echoes within her own chest with a heavy throb of affection.

Or maybe... She is just still awake and maybe even - as Nicky would probably teasingly sing-song to her - simply, utterly, irreparably _smitten._

"Okay." She answers eventually, and... Piper actually looks kind of surprised.

Her blue eyes widen that tiny bit more, as if she expected her to protest first thing, and Alex honestly surprises herself, too, when she doesn't. A fact that, on its own, says a lot about how tired she truly feels. Enough to push her own stubbornness aside. Much to the young businesswoman's delight showing with the wide, victorious, _gorgeous_ smile that spreads across her lips under her surprise.

 **. . .**

Somehow, she makes it to the bathroom, going through her before-bed routine; brushing her teeth all while listening to the unfamiliar noises of someone else moving through her apartment, washing the dishes in the sink, and getting the kitchen in order, something that Piper most certainly _didn't_ have to do, but also a plea that the young woman has refused to listen to.

Alex has just walked into the bedroom, put her phone to charge on the nightstand and is slipping under the comforter when Piper shows up. Her steps so tentative, just like the way she looks around with curious eyes from the threshold without crossing it. And such tentativeness is exactly what makes Alex smirk through her sleepy eyes.

"You know, you _can_ come in..." She invites, and sleep is tugging so heavily at her that it's a struggle even try not to slur her words when she speaks.

And even though it's far too dark for her to see it, she can perfectly picture the lovely blush of light embarrassment that is most likely coloring Piper's cheeks when she steps further inside.

But then, just like it had appeared, the smile gets smoothed from Alex's lips, replaced with a deep frown when she squints and actually sees that Piper is... wearing her _coat_.

"You're leaving?" Not even the heaviness of sleep tugging so resolutely at her consciousness can prevent her from sitting up, with this spasm of alarm suddenly shooting up her spine, ringing through her entire body and clenching her stomach with a sense of apprehension she has never before experienced, but that feels very close to another, awful feeling that is far too close to... actual fear. And that only intensifies further when Piper comes closer, kneeling beside her side of the bed with that apologetic, nervous little smile twitching on her lips.

"Actually... I thought _I should_." The young woman answers, and it is the reluctance showing in her eyes with such response, the incongruity with her own words, what leaves Alex suddenly deeply puzzled, triggering the most obvious question of all.

"Are you having doubts about... _this_?" _Us._

Unexpectedly, Piper answers her with a smile. One of those beautiful smiles that reach her eyes and makes them sparkle with that strong, firm, unwavering affection. And on its own, it is already enough to loosen up that tight knot of apprehension that got lodged in between her chest and stomach.

" _Never._ " She answers. Firmly, yet softly, shaking her head. "I just..." She pauses, hesitant, biting her bottom lip and... "I just have the feeling that if I'll stay we'll never make it out of this bed for like... _three days_ or so."

 _Oh..._

And upon hearing the reason that seems to _"worry"_ the young woman, Alex can't honestly help the laugh that swells in her chest and slips past her lips with a mixture of humor and plain, light, glorious relief.

It's so overwhelming that she doesn't even wince when she feels the pang of pain on her shoulder because of the light bouncing that such laugh elicits.

"Oh, _I see_." She nods, already smirking, knowingly. "And _that_ would be a problem I take it..." She teases, and this time, despite the soft moonlight that filters just so from the windows, she sees quite well the way Piper's cheeks heat up with that lovely shade of pink before the young woman ducks her head to escape her gaze out of embarrassment.

"I just..." But it's not embarrassment or timidity. Not exactly. "I wouldn't want to push us _too hard_ and _too fast_ into... all of this." It's self-consciousness and hesitation. But not when she uses _that word._ That simple _us._

And it's then that Alex realizes that Piper has actually taken such decision for _her_ benefit. To not risk _overwhelming her_ considering everything she has revealed to her earlier, about being new to this... dynamic, about her uncertainty and caution regarding stepping into relationships. And such knowledge makes her feel this new, harsher pang of deep affection for the young woman kneeling beside her, looking at her with such raw sentiment and reluctance about her own decision to leave.

Alex has already tried to take things slow and... it didn't work.

And now she knows that fast or slow, things just weren't supposed to be with Sylvia.

But with Piper...

"Nothing has prevented us from feeling the way we feel about each other and act on it," She points out. And then - even though it makes her feel exposed and vulnerable in a way that pushes her close to the thin, slippery edge of her comfort - she whispers a soft, tentative "Please, _stay_."

Piper watches her closely, as if searching for... an undefined _something_. And even though Alex feels the almost irrepressible need to look away, she _doesn't_. And she couldn't be more glad that what makes Piper's already visibly wavering, crippled decision crumble for the rest of the way, is exactly her resolution to keep herself so open.

A moment later, as if having found what she was _searching for_ , the young woman stands back on her feet again before taking off her coat.

Then her heels.

Her jeans and sweater follow. Forming a heap of fabric on the back of her desk chair sitting under the window facing the snowy city.

And suddenly, Alex doesn't feel so sleepy anymore.

But how could she? When Piper tugs the covers aside to slip into the bed and (carefully) _straddle her,_ wearing nothing but her undergarments and the simple cotton shirt that she has been wearing under her sweater.

The delightful warmth of her body against hers, the feeling of her naked skin under her palm tingling her whole system awake with that electrical charge that she has never experienced before and that shakes her right to the core. But that is still nothing compared to how that feeling _flares_ when Piper leans in, cradling her jaw, and kisses her - delicately, almost tentatively at first. But it's only a matter of seconds before such gentleness grows into authentic fervor. A gently sizzling ardor that threatens to burst to its full potential at any moment.

She gets so engrossed in the kiss that she _barely_ hears it when her phone starts ringing.

It's on vibrate, but it is _incessant_ , and it's late enough that she instantly thinks it might be something urgent. And that's the _only_ thought that manages to tear her away from Piper's lips with extreme reluctance and a groan that gets also (much to her amusement) echoed by the young woman herself.

She doesn't make it in time to answer it, but the call - as well as the text that shows up on the screen a moment after she picks up the phone from the nightstand - are (as she expected them to be) from no others than Nicky.

" _Remember:_ " She reads out loud. " _The doctor said no vigorous activities for at least a week._ "

She scoffs, but it's the look that she finds on Piper's face - eyes wide, lips parted with shock - and that sputtered, flustered "How did she _kno_ \- how _could_ she..?!" what makes her humor burst free from her chest.

"Yeah," She chuckles, setting her phone back on the nightstand before looking around her bedroom, searching for... something _off_ or misplaced. "She has either developed a sixth sense to be able to know what we were just doing," She guesses. "Or she's bugged my apartment."

That earns her a skeptical look.

"Maybe she is just very perceptive." Piper rightfully - _knowingly -_ points out with a sigh, and then, unexpectedly, her gaze grows from wide and concerned, to dark and... _seductive_ as her lips stretch into a rather _mischievous_ kind of smile. "After all who _wouldn't_ take advantage _of you_ in such conditions?"

There is simply no containing the new, full laugh that erupts from within her. She is just beyond delighted in hearing such an unabashed, mischievous flirt coming from the same young woman who barely a couple of months ago blushed even just at the _mentioning_ of something sex-related despite her eagerness and enthusiasm about... _learning_.

The snow may be silent as it falls, forcing the city itself into a more quiet state, enough to allow her to hear the wind howling outside. But the way Piper gazes at her, is a force of nature on its own.

It pulls at her insides and lits her up on fire with that scorching spark that she finds flickering in her darkened blue eyes.

"Whatever the case is," The young woman continues, bracing herself against her frame by wrapping her arms around her shoulders, being particularly careful about her injured one. "It might be too much information, but you can tell Nicky not to worry," She reassures, teasingly, yet offering her this softer smile (filled with so much sentiment that makes the muscle contained inside her own chest _throb_ in response) graced with that lingering, bold curl of mischief that can't make Alex anything other than _proud._

"Because until you'll get back to your full strength, I intend to be just as gentle with you as you have been with me the first time you touched me." She practically breathes against her own lips, brushing the tip of her nose against the side of hers before planting the softest kiss on the corner of her mouth.

It's infinitely tender. But those words make Alex smirk in response.

"Oh, so _that_ is what you meant when you said you wanted to take things _slow_ ," She teases her back.

"And here I thought you wanted to call a ride for home... or... maybe _a sled_ would have been more appropriate." She corrects, jokingly, after glancing outside her large bedroom window at the raging snowstorm that gives no sign to slow down its merciless attack on the city.

Truth is she jokes and smirks about it to try and keep hidden the... uncomfortable nervousness that is still there, fluttering in her stomach at the thought of Piper leaving.

Something in her expression must give her tension on the matter away though.

...or maybe it is the way her free, uninjured arm tightens that tiny bit further around Piper's slender frame. Keeping her closer to herself.

But...

All of the reassurance she needs, is right there, in the affection and instant understanding that she finds rippling in Piper's blue eyes, and then on the softness of those lips when the young woman leans in to plant a kiss on hers.

It's delicate, and far too brief. The exact opposite from the one that they have been sharing a minute ago, but... The sentiment is all there.

Comforting her to the core in the way she feels it sizzling just as fiercely.

 **. . .**

There are many sides that she has discovered about Alex during the time they have spent together in (and those few times _out_ ) of their sessions.

But this hidden vulnerable one showing this deeply rooted fear about being left alone, is by far the most poignant one; putting on full display that little chink in her confident core that, paradoxically, in its way, renders her all the more... _complete_. _And accessible._

When she pulls back from that sweetly passionate kiss (which has already succeeded in making her insides quiver with that familiar, indomitable _pull_ of desire) she shakes her head in negative, smiling reassuringly, cradling Alex's jaw and tracing its gorgeous outline with her fingertips, finding herself still mesmerized; falling once again under the spell that such raw beauty casts on her. So strong and fragile at once, just like this new glimpses of the raven-haired woman that she has just been gifted with oh so unexpectedly. And that she is now able to catch with more ease in the small, subtle twitches of her expression _and_ in the way she holds her against herself, seeking for that closeness that is never enough.

"I can't think of anything more wonderful than staying here with you." She answers at last, keeping her eyes locked with Alex's stunning green gems to convey the depth of her conviction before leaning in to seal her words by kissing her again, reveling in the way she feels her both melting with relief and then smiling with elation into the kiss before answering back with the same sizzling ardor and passion that she kissed her with _that night,_ in _that room,_ when the pretense of their respective roles _shattered._ Leaving just... _them_ in their nakedness (quite literally) and that newfound completeness.

Although... Even if Piper believes her own words, she will soon find out that she is actually _wrong._

Because there _is_ another thing that makes this new development all the more wonderful.

Something which intimacy brings them even closer, making this new dynamic all the more _real._

The first one, is seeing the adorable way Alex's nose twitches when she is falling asleep.

But it's actually only in the morning that she finds out the real extension of how magnificent this new development is. And how _right_ all of it feels.

When those stunning green eyes blink open with the first lights of the morning. Bleary and a bit disoriented at first, only to fill with surprise that melts into pure affection in the moment Piper greets her with a dimpled smile, a softly whispered "good morning" and a kiss the following day... And the day after that.

* * *

 **I know... That was kind of mushy, wasn't it? But after all I have been putting them through in the last few chapters, with the heartbreak and fight and all of that, I really thought that they deserved a quiet, romantic moment like this, with a few glimpses on Alex's past and backstory about her friendship with Nicky to explain her reluctance about relationships... Until Piper came along, of course :P However... It's not over yet guys ;)**


	23. Chapter 23

Hi everyone!

So, here we are...

Yes, this is the last chapter guys :) I have to say, I have had this idea for _such_ a long time, that seeing it now posted in full feels actually a bit surreal. I had it planned in a way and I'm so glad that, despite the few difficulties that I have encountered by diving into this foreign third person's POV I have still managed to tell this story exactly the way I intended to since the beginning :D It doesn't happen often. Sometimes ideas grow legs and take a whole other route of their own leaving us to chase after them, but this... I'm not only happy that I have managed to start and finish this story following the outline that I had drawn, but that you have all enjoyed it so much so far. And I honestly don't know how to thank you for being so supportive, so loving with all of your comments and kind. I have especially appreciated the patience that the majority of you have shown, and I can assure you that receiving it, along with all the assurances, has given me the calm necessary to make sure I could focus on the next chapter without that irritating pressure that would have made me just lay it down without the attention it deserved. I hate rushing things, and by being patient with me you have allowed me to post each chapter as I had it planned :D So thank you, for all of your understanding and kindness :)

Now...

Now I'll just leave you to this final chapter :)

Don't fret though ;) Since it's the epilogue of this story, I have made it a bit longer, and added a few special treats here and there :D

Enjoy

* * *

She is probably the tougher person she's _ever_ had to deal with in her entire career.

And the experience that she knows she possesses in these kinds of things makes her consequently more nervous.

Nonetheless, she does her best to ignore such an overwhelming feeling (currently colliding with a thousand of others) holding her gaze and her stance (if it can even be called like that at all) trying to look as authoritative as she can, given the current circumstances - jutting her chin out and, with a firm voice, she simply repeats her previous offer.

"Twenty percent."

She knows how to do her job.

She may be still young, but she has confidence in her negotiating abilities.

Even when the circumstances are making such _negotiations_ so much more _challenging_.

However, if she was hoping to somehow _impress_ her client, she gets hugely disappointed.

In fact, it seems like her look of defiance has done nothing if not a _muse her_.

And the proof is right there. Tugging at those rosy lips for a second.

 _That smile._

The little curl of a _smirk_ that twitches at the corner of that mouth and that does things to her that makes the knot of nervousness and all of the other emotions nestled within her belly tighten that tiny bit more.

It's there for far too little. So short and fleeting that if she had blinked she would have missed it altogether and probably just caught the glimpse of the tip of that pink tongue swiftly licking it away from those rosy lips.

For how brief though, the sight is enough to make her throat go dry, and she tries to swallow, _hard_ , in a futile attempt to bring some of that moisture that seems to be flowing just to one place at the moment. Just like the heat that springs from her stomach and that engulfs her.

 _All result of nervousness_ , she justifies, even though, the way she shifts in her spot - subtly, to try not to draw attention - tells a whole _other_ story. Because she can try to convince herself of whatever, but _that smile_ has - and always had - a certain _effect_ on her. And it's exactly because of that not-so-subtle-after-all squirming that such smile makes another appearance, and just like that, Piper instantly knows that her attempts in trying to act nonchalant have miserably failed. And the most frustrating thing is that she can't do _anything_ about it if not fall under the spell that such smile casts on her in the moment it reaches a pair of stunning, precious, glittering emeralds.

"Twenty percent, uh?"

To accompany such smile, now shifting as those lips purse ever so slightly in thought, her offer gets also met with an unimpressed, subtly arched, and perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

It takes Piper a moment to disentangle herself from that radiant, confident beauty veiled by an infinitely appealing layer of modesty that fits with her whole character and makes her look all the more charming, but... somehow, she manages.

Because under her currently... _wavering_ appearances she is actually very resolute in having her way with this deal. No matter how hard, how challenging it is becoming for her to keep any resemblance of composure and not give in to that primal part of her that she thought she had tamed _a long_ time ago.

How incredibly naive of her to believe such a thing.

But she'll have to reprimand herself on a second moment.

And for how much she would like to defend herself, she _can't_. Not _here_. Not _right now_. Not like _this_. She honestly wouldn't even know _how_ considering the pressure that she is... currently experiencing. But she still refuses to backtrack, and so, she simply insists on pointing out that:

"It's more than an adequate offer for this kind of trade."

Her lie gets detected in that feeble trembling note seeping in her otherwise smooth and measured voice.

And of course, the skepticism she is met with in response doesn't delay. Making her feel even more foolish for thinking - even if just for a moment (all while getting swallowed in that thick haze lifting and slowly but surely taking her reasoning hostage) that maybe... she wouldn't have been met with any after all.

"Is it?" Her client promptly inquires. Her tone somewhere in between challenging and teasing. "I mean, it's a good start." She agrees. "But I know you can do so much _better_ than that."

Oh, Piper most definitely _can_ \- or rather _she could_ \- as her treacherous body language suggests by squirming on the spot the way it does under that piercing gaze, but this is about a _principle_ , and she simply _refuses_ to yield, not even under the current... rather delicate circumstances that are driving her further and further adrift. Giving away her vulnerabilities and slowly shedding her off that business composure she has always worn quite easily, but that in certain circumstances - such as this very specific one - tends to feel a bit _too_ tight, making her squirmy within its suddenly too-clingy confines.

But that also happens to be an innate ability of her _client_. Who promptly exploits such vulnerability with that incredible, enviable attentiveness. No doubt catching the effort that she is putting in trying to keep her body from responding in _any_ way. And seeing it just as easily in the way her frame stiffens up - seizing her up with the _physical effort_ that is taking her to hold back.

Her _client_ takes the chance to press further, forcing her to brace herself tighter and smother the sound that rises within her chest, barely managing to suppress it in the back of her throat. But unable to do anything against the hot shiver that crawls up her spine when that voice grows slightly deeper and... more sultry.

"I was thinking about something more along the range of twenty-five, maybe even thirty percent..."

So... _distracting_ it is the sound of that voice that it takes Piper a moment to register the request itself, but when she does, she almost _chokes_ on her next breath upon receiving such a _ridiculous_ proposition.

" _Thirty percent?!_ " She sputters, eyes widening with utter shock.

Such a huge, amateur mistake from her part to lose her cool demeanor in such a way during a negotiation.

It's embarrassing.

And she should know _better_.

 _Especially_ with _her._

She doesn't even have to wonder if her _client_ was aiming to take her completely unprepared. She most definitely _was_. And she has surely succeeded, _too._

This time, her _client_ doesn't try to lick away her obvious amusement by subtly, swiftly darting the tip of her tongue out. But letting it spread and stretch fully across her lips instead, in a full display of that infuriatingly attractive cockiness.

"Oh, so you _have_ been listening to me then," And there, once again, Piper reprimands herself, even more, when, as expected, her slip earns her not just an amused smile, but one of those _smirks_ that renders her flustered state all the more visible. Coloring her cheeks with the tinge of a blush of mild embarrassment that she can in no way mask.

"Good." Her _client_ states, equally impressed and infinitely, rightfully pleased. "Now I know you weren't as... _distracted_ as I thought you were."

"I'm _not-_ " But just as Piper goes to defensively confirm such assumption, Alex takes the chance to roll her hips forward, pressing slightly deeper inside her, _and_...

And just like that, as the shaft of the toy slides further in, Piper temporarily loses any kind of hold on the reasoning that was left in her.

Her eyes flutter shut, rolling onto the back of her head, which lols backward with the shaky moan that gets torn from her throat, while her entire body shudders with the shock of pleasure that she instantly receives from the additional pressure of such penetration.

And its significant... _difference_ (compared to the one she is more used to receive) combined with Alex's expertise and thoughtful carefulness, makes it all the more enjoyable.

Her hands close into tight fists. Yearning to hold onto something, to brace herself and have the illusion to have an anchor that will keep her from just... floating away as her body seems to give her the impression to be about to do any moment now. No matter the handcuffs wrapped around her wrists, held above her head and keeping her in place by the chain hooked to the sturdy, apposite hasp recently installed on the ceiling...

But Alex... her strong frame holding her up from behind, cradling her body in this simple kneeled position that allows all the curves of their bodies to touch just like they do whenever they end up spooning - offers her _all_ the support she needs. Providing the sweetest comfort and safeness that comes with such an intimate closeness.

"Maybe I've been too soft on you," Her insufferably teasing lover whispers in her ear, brushing aside a lock of hair from the side of her neck with deft, impossibly gentle fingers that leave her skin tingling as they brush - deliberately - against that particularly sensitive and responsive spot between her ear and the black leather collar tied there around her neck.

"But I can make up for that."

It's such a sweet promise, and Piper doesn't even have to _beg_ to make it come true.

Without her having to utter a single word, Alex draws her hips back ever so slightly, but with the help of the little bottle now sitting on the nightstand (proudly displaying the logo of her company on the label) not to mention thanks to the ridiculous level of arousal that Alex has made her reach in the past hour or so (succeeding in loosening her up more than necessary) even such a tight fit turns out being exceptionally smooth and, consequently, uncomparably pleasant.

With the next, gently confident thrust, their hips finally meet. And the closeness that it brings them, not to mention the added pressure inside her brought by that last inch or so that was left, it all feels simply perfect, in the most _complete_ way.

Piper feels her entire body getting caught once again in the middle of a harsh shudder that shakes the foundation of her being and leaves her breathless for several long seconds, until Alex lovingly strokes her sides and whispers the reminder in her ear.

"Breathe, babe."

And only then her lungs expand again. As if she had fallen under such a powerful spell that even the most instinctive need couldn't break. Not like hearing Alex's sweetly husky voice urging her to, resting a hand against her diaphragm.

"That's it..." Her lover approves, brushing a kiss on the back of her shoulder. "Such a _good_ girl."

The praise going straight to Piper's clit, leaving her whimpering as it throb in response with the same need churning inside of her and that elicits a new gush of wet warmth. It coats the inside of her thighs before slowly dripping onto the bedsheets below them where a darker, damp patch has no doubt already formed as a testimony of her pleasure.

Even though the toy is slightly thicker than the one they usually pick whenever they indulge in this specific, delicate _practice_ , Piper is surprised to find out that there is not even the smallest trace of pain. Although, if she has to be honest, a greater part of her isn't surprised _at all._

Because she trusts Alex.

And everything that her lover has done to prepare her for this and, therefore, make it safer (for how torturous it has been enduring all of her teasing touches) has _definitely_ worked.

The only other sensations that she registers beside the different, yet deeply enjoyable penetration is the very light, kind of pleasant _sting_ brought by the extra stretch that gets soon soothed by her own body adjusting to it, melting under the profound comfort brought by the feeling of Alex's strong yet gentle hands tracing her curves with an infinite tenderness and appreciation; caressing her sides, the jut of her hips, climbing up the ladder of her ribs before sliding forward and cupping her breasts, squeezing them oh so gently. Each gesture loaded with so much sentiment that speaks of nothing less than actual veneration, making Piper's chest swell painfully within the tight confines of her chest with the returned affection she is no able to utter at the moment, even though she doesn't need to.

The way her body melts and arches against Alex, onto her hands, speaks loudly enough.

Her head spins and... it's simply _wonderful._

Although... considering the discussion they were having she simply can't not think of this new... _tactic_ as some form of persuasion bordering into actual coercion, and for how much she enjoys it, she can't not point out that such approach is simply

"N-not fair."

Her voice - and her general breathless state - betrays her, and she stutters. Caught in that grasp that makes her toes curl and her insides spasm with a new pang of... such a _different_ and yet so deeply _enjoyable_ kind of pleasure that is making her head spin, even faster now with Alex's fingers rolling and tugging at her hardened nipples, leaving her so _delightfully dizzy._

And even though her eyes have fluttered closed, she can perfectly hear (and picture just as clearly) the smirk that is most likely curling on her lover's lips when Alex asks her, by breathing the words in her ear, if "Is that _a protest_?"

Her tone alone is enough to send a new shiver down her spine, but it's hearing that suspicious note seeping in that exquisitely deep, sweetly husky voice however that (for how feeble) gives weight to such question, and that's enough to shake Piper from that haze she has plunged into, enough to make her lift her head and look at the reflection projected before her, at the woman kneeling behind her, cradling her frame with such confidence and infinite care and adoration and passion all at once, guiding her through this encounter as she has _always_ done, with the same patience and understanding and _care,_ without giving in to that _instinct_ that is making her own strong, unyielding composure _crumble_ a small piece at the time.

Piper's mind instantly clears up upon hearing that feeble note, her eyes regain focus, finding and locking with a pair of stunning green gems staring back at her from the mirror hung right before her, the same mirror from which they have been exchanging looks since all of this began, and that has been placed there, nailed to the wall just above the headboard and inclined _just-so_ , at the perfect angle to grant her the most thorough view of everything that is happening behind her.

She shakes her head, and this time, when she answers, her voice might still come out slightly breathless, but her response is firm and unwavering.

" _Never_."

And Alex rewards her sincerity with one of those grins.

It's softer though. Piper can't help but notice as much.

Devoid of that cocky tilt and instead adorned with a shade of relief upon receiving her confirmation.

"You know," And just like that, her lover's core swells back to its most attractive confidence as she resumes with her teasing/arguable business-talk. "If you are still not convinced, I think you should take in consideration the fact that my own clients are going to buy your products so..." She suggests, as if this thing is _really_ a negotiation and not a - very successful - attempt meant to drive her crazy. "...it's going to be _exceptionally beneficial_ for you whether you give me a twenty percent discount or a thirty." She points out. "You _do_ sell a quality, natural, hypoallergenic product, and I _guarantee_ an enjoyable service."

God, she _so does._

And Piper has the privilege to get the exclusive _every day._

Also... there is no arguing with her point. Those two qualities put together offer the combo of the most successful, mutually beneficial deal.

A great- _huge_ opportunity.

"Think about it..." Alex prompts, pressing a bit further, seeming to have caught her obvious appeal at such a proposition. Her voice so sultry and so damn alluring that it's hard to not consider it as one of the many weapons that she is using, so expertly, to make her go insane that much faster, as if she wasn't already spiraling down and struggling to keep a hold on any resemblance of control, any shred of it that she can find and _cling onto._

"Also," Alex continues as one of her hands leave one of her breasts in order to travel down her front, sliding down her stomach and aiming further down, rendering it harder for her to not whimper when her destination becomes clearer and clearer with every inch of skin those fingers skim past.

"If that beautiful mind of yours can come up with another new fragrance that would fit with the main theme of next month's event at the club and give me the exclusive along with the permission to give away some free samples, I can _assure you_ that we will both benefit _greatly_ from it..."

In that exact moment, the slender, talented hand that has been making its way down her abdomen, reaches its destination, and Piper has to put a lot of effort and restrain herself in order not to come in the instant those deft fingers brush against her pulsing, soaked core.

She swallows a whimper, but, once again, there is simply _nothing_ she can do for the shiver that races down her spine when she hears Alex _growl_ against the side of her neck in the moment she cups her sex in her palm.

"Jesus..." She grunts, parting her folds delicately, to properly feel and test the slickness gathered there, exposing her throbbing clit, and for a moment, as her middle and fourth finger close around that hardened little bundle of nerves, Piper thinks that she is actually going to be granted what she so desperately needs.

However, as she should have expected, Alex just seems to want to _revel_ in the wetness pooled there; sticky and hot with the need consuming her from the inside. Literally _dripping_ out of her.

"I love feeling you like this." Alex sighs, blissfully, nuzzling the back of her neck, and there is only one answer that Piper can offer in return to that.

The one and only truth that grants her the firmness that she needs to find and get a hold of her voice long enough to speak through her dry throat and admit that "It's all _for you_."

Maybe it is the breathlessly rough quality that her voice has taken, or the truth held in the statement itself, or the way her clit _throbs_ \- as if confirming her own words - against Alex's palm what makes her lover groan and her hips twitch in an involuntary thrust.

The shaft buries itself deeper within her, providing Alex with a direct stimulation against her own core, pressed against the seat of the toy that she is currently wearing.

And Piper... _well_... After having endured so much teasing and taunting, she can't not take that reaction as a small although substantial victory.

She has been worried that Alex wouldn't have been able to thoroughly enjoy this in such position because of the limited amount of direct stimulation, like the one that is making her crumble piece by piece, but this... This is the reassurance that she has been waiting to hear, because it seems like her lover is enjoying this as much as she is doing. _All of this._ In its _entirety._

An assumption that the sudden spike in her lover's breathing seems to confirm. And that's more than enough to make her a bit daring.

"Losing your resolution, are you?" She teases. And she may not be able to do much tied up like she currently is, but she can still use her voice and move _her hips_ , and so, inflated by this unexpected burst of confidence as she is thanks to that little yet strong reaction that she has managed to elicit from her lover, she takes the chance to rock her hips back.

It's a dangerous move. And it's the vastness of the possibilities that such a dangerously playful question accompanied by such a bold move and that elicits that exquisite shiver brought by adapting a forbidden kind of behavior what makes it impossible for her to resist the temptation. Especially when _it works_ , and the gesture earns her one of those groans that tells her that she has succeeded in her intent; in bringing Alex that bit of indirect stimulation against her own core.

Although...

When Alex recovers from her ambushing and glances at her, locking her gaze with hers on the mirror, so dark and lustful and... tinged with a hint of surprise and actual _pride_ at the display of such boldness, Piper knows that she is _screwed._.

Her throat grows even drier at the sight of those rosy lips curling in that predatory-like smile that tells that maybe _testing her_ hasn't been _the smartest_ move given her current conditions.

"Not at all," Alex answers, shaking her head. Apparently having regained every bit of her composure and then some. "Are _you_?" She teases back, it's then that Piper realizes that yes, she should have known _better_ than to test her lover with that teasing, sassy remark.

Because Alex takes advantage of the situation to properly point out _who_ between the two is really losing much more than _just_ their resolution. And such reminder comes when the slender, skilled hand cupping her sex tightens in a firm squeeze.

The touch may not be focused on one point, but on its own, it is already enough to make her shudder. And when Alex actually puts a bit more of pressure _directly_ against her throbbing clit and actually starts circling it at a deliberately slow pace under her first and second finger... it's maddening.

And _fuck_...

It's not _fair_ that Alex gets to play this dirty with her, but...

She still moans.

A pitiful needy noise that spills from her lips in a way that would make her feel more than _just_ a bit embarrassed weren't she so insanely turned on.

Alex's hum of approval is the only thing that makes her blink her eyes open just in time to see the smirk on her lover's lips bouncing back to her from the mirror.

"I think I'm going to take that one as a _yes_."

How Alex's sassiness and confidence manage to both annoy her to no end and, at the same time, turn her own like nothing else - especially in these moments - she'll never know. She has given up trying to understand something that apparently goes beyond any reasoning. And even this time Piper decides to push aside her contrasting feelings towards such traits, mostly because the sensations coursing through her body don't give her much of a choice, or even a shred of her usual eloquence to defend herself.

And the only thing she is able to convey, is the one that her hips - undecided in the broken, greedy rhythm of rocking back onto the shaft buried within her, and forward, to chase the teasing, circling, slippery motion of those deft fingers around her pulsing clit - are already telling to her extremely perceptive lover.

" _P-please_..."

Even the heat that scalds her cheeks when she begs her again is _nothing_ compared to the one flaring within her, originating from the depth of her belly and engulfing her entire body, shifting into pure frustration when, as part of her expected, Alex smirks and shakes her head in negative.

"Nuh, uh." She denies, clicking her tongue, looking not one bit sorry about keeping her there, toeing over that slippery edge. "Business _first_ , remember?"

The insufferable tease reminds her. Grinning at her reflection in the mirror. A grin to which Piper responds by narrowing her eyes in a glare. Because between them, whenever discussing business, pleasure has _always_ come _first_.

"You already know how busy and how much business those nights at the club bring," Alex tells her, regaining that perfect composure of the businesswoman. A facade that would fool anyone, like it almost does with her. But... Piper can _hear it_.

It's actually quite subtle.

That note layering her voice. That almost inaudible _quiver_ of not-quite-exertion rendering it thicker, giving away how hard Alex is actually struggling with herself to hold back.

Sure, she may be the one restrained with a pair of handcuffs chained to the ceiling. But upon hearing that feeble note, she gets also instantly reminded that Alex is restrained as well. And while her resolution is nothing short of admirable, Piper wants to experience the fierceness of all that energy that she is keeping locked within her. And the thought of that beast struggling against those restraints to break free, add a whole new need to the one already churning within her. Melting her insides into a swirl of liquid fire.

"So... do I have my thirty percent discount?" Alex asks her, and she even _smiles_ \- as if she has already won the battle - that charming, crooked smile of hers that twitches with such familiarity at the corner of that mouth, taking that subtle tilt of her trademark smirk.

So infuriatingly attractive. A swoon-worthy cockiness that no one Piper has ever met has been able to put on display with such a... rude _refinement_. It masks quite well the effort that she is putting in order to not let go and allow instinct to just take over.

Those fingers emphasize a bit more pressure, as if to remind her what is at stake here. As if Piper could think of anything other than that very same hand drawing circles between her legs, and the delightfully different kind of pressure offered by the thick, firm shaft filling her from behind; thrusting in and out with gentle precision.

"Y-yes..." She answers at last, as soon as she manages to push the words past her wounded ego and the dryness in her throat, struggling to contain and not give in under the promise of pleasure that is just _there_. Practically within her reach now, as Alex's slightly deeper thrusts seem to suggest.

But apparently, her lover, even though clearly satisfied for having her surrender, is not yet done with teasing her.

"What about that new fragrance and the free samples for next month's open doors-night?"

 _Oh for the love of-_

She is ready to actually _snap_ and tell her to just stop fucking with her and simply _fuck her_ already, but... She would fool neither of them.

Because she secretly _revels_ in this push and pull.

Just like she takes immense delight in feeling Alex's fingers sliding further down between her folds. Stopping just at the source of her wetness, without doing anything more than _tease_ her slick entrance by circling it.

For how much she loves to sustain Alex's projects and business, and for how much she enjoys and looks forward to those special nights at the club, she honestly _can't_ find it in her _to care_ about any of _that_ right now. This entire deal-making thing has _clearly_ all be planned to make her desperate and reduce her to that incoherent, mumbling, _begging_ state that Piper knows quite well her lover enjoys reducing her into. And, right now, she is already far too gone to cling on any meaningless sense of reserve or onto her stubbornness to keep holding herself together when she is already crumbling.

And Alex is taking advantage of the situation. Just like any businesswoman would do in front of an opportunity. Giving her no other choice but accept her request when the tips of two of her fingers stretch her opening, barely entering her, but it's enough to shatter whatever was left of her resolution.

" _I'll do it_!" She half-shouts and half-stutters, flustered, and a bit exasperated, too. Truth is, she would grant Alex the moon right now. Find a way to reach it, go against any rule imposed by gravity and physics in the universe, pull it down to earth with a rope and hand it over to her if only she would just... _push_ those fingers _in_ for the rest of the way and drag out of her each shudder of the orgasm that is tingling at the base of her spine and that she has been holding back for what seems like an eternity.

"Now please..." She begs, and this time she doesn't limit herself to just looking at the reflection of her lover in the mirror, but she actually turns as much as she can in her current position to meet Alex's piercing, mischievous, deeply pleased green eyes _directly_.

There are parts of her body which burning need simply _can't_ be ignored any longer and finding herself in front of that gaze only makes her all the more desperate.

"Please, _fuck me_."

In response to her needy plea, there is no longer delaying. No more teasing.

Just the most gratifying feeling of two fingers sliding deep within her.

Her body opens up, welcoming her in so smoothly, with all of her enthusiasm and eagerness.

Time itself seems to still for the next few, long, _blissful_ moments.

There is nothing that would ever compare to _this_.

To the exquisite feeling of having Alex inside her.

The only other thing that manages to get an equally satisfying result is having her lover tremble and groan and _cling_ onto the back of her head when she has it buried between the sweet cradle of her legs, lapping and sucking with a gentle firmness and devotion at Alex's clit until she gets rewarded with the infinitely gratifying feeling of her lover coming apart under the slippery pressure of her circling tongue and suckling lips.

Her core clenches painfully tight on itself with a vicious stab of pleasure, both because of the images that flash before her closed eyes from those memories, but also at the next perfectly angled thrust.

"Whatever you need." Alex breathes in her ear. And this time, there is no trace of teasing or taunting layering her voice. Just the purest, most authentic affection that's found at the beating core of her being and that coats every single one of their passionate encounters.

The contrast of emotions and sensations that Piper feels battling within her challenges once again her consciousness. Her eyes flutter shut and her head lolls forward, but her need to utter the _other thing_ that she needs just as viciously as reaching that peak is so much stronger, and she knows that, while Alex is able to read her like no one else has ever even tried to do with her, she won't get what she longs for until she will say it out loud, voicing it in a proper request.

And so, fighting against every fiber of her body that is ready to just let go, she lifts her head, willing her eyes to open, barely by a slit, but enough to see and find and lock them with the pair of emeralds staring right back at her from the reflection in the mirror.

"Then please, let me come." She begs. But even that, even the permission she is longing to hear would not be enough to break that final restraint.

It would hardly make her reach that kind of satisfaction- that profound mix of comfort and gratification that she seeks even more desperately than the mere physical relief.

In any other scenario that didn't have her tied up like she is right now, she would reach back with one hand and dig her fingernails into the perfect, firm swell of Alex's butt and pull her closer- _deeper_ , to emphasize her point, but right now, she only has her voice to express what she needs even more viciously than plunge and drown in her own pleasure. And the roughness in her voice, the way it drops into that deeper tone, her shortage of breathing, for how challenging it is to speak through it, actually helps in conveying even more strongly how much she wants this. "...and _come with me._ "

She even rolls her own hips back, taking that inch left of the shaft, to properly deliver the message in full. Because reaching the peak of her pleasure is always wonderful, but coming without Alex has a way to make her feel somehow... _incomplete_. As if there is something critical missing from the experience itself. While feeling her lover come with her has a way to push her over the edge and enjoy her fall down that precipice that is unlike anything else in the world.

And it probably has _everything_ to do with the knowledge that _she_ has managed to break that last loop in that sturdy restraint. There is nothing more satisfying than having Alex _take_ what she _needs_. To have her _using her_ in such a primal way. Throwing that thoughtfulness and carefulness away... Like she did _that time_ , in _that room_ , locked away from the rest of the world.

The pleasure that springs from her lower belly at that extra, half-inch of penetration is incredibly distracting, but... The way Alex growls at the boldness of the movement - that deep, primal, almost animalistic sound that rumbles dangerously within her chest - leaves Piper shaking to the very foundation of her being, and the knowledge that _she_ has managed to elicit it with so little, thrills her like very few things can.

The hand resting on her waist tightens, and she knows that she has succeeded in not only bringing her lover some stimulation, but also in shattering her will about continuing with this game by poking at the most primal and instinctive parts of her that always respond in the most delightful ways.

It doesn't take any more convincing than that.

And this time, as a further proof that her lover is already far too gone to provide one, there is the fact that she doesn't even receive a verbal answer.

But there is hardly _any need_ for one at all.

The arm that Alex promptly wraps around her waist in order to brace herself and keep steady is all Piper needs. It brings them impossibly, delightfully closer, and it has her next breath stutter out of her lungs in anticipation for that instant that precedes the new, purposeful rhythm of Alex's thrusts.

Her hips pick up speed, but it's still a rather gentle and calculated, steady pace.

There is none of that roughness that sometimes possesses her when they are enjoying themselves like this but in the more... conventional- _traditional_ way. The movement is still careful and not too deep to not risk that light discomfort that such delicate _position_ tends to bring, but... the little grinding motion that Alex does with each thrust against her ass, assures Piper that her lover is still able to take some pleasure from this; rubbing her own core against the ridged seat of the toy that she is wearing, a movement that provides her a more indirect nonetheless enjoyable stimulation, as the groan that she hears falling from her lips and caressing the side of her neck after a particularly long grinding motion suggests her.

And it's a huge reassurance.

As delightful as the shock of pleasure that shoots down her spine and twists in her lower belly, throbbing on her clit, when the shaft slides even deeper within her forcing another one of those gasped moans from her lips.

"God, you feel _so_ good..."

It takes Piper a moment to realize that the words came from _her_ , but that only reinforces the sincerity in them. Alex _does_ feel amazing. _Everywhere_ Every inch of skin that is pressed against hers, slick and hot with exertion, _burns_ with sparks of electricity.

She is just a bit disappointed by one thing and one thing only.

"...I wish you could feel me, _too._ "

The sound that Alex makes in the back of her throat when she whispers such thing to her - tinged with that dash of remorse - sounds like a hum of approval at first, but then Piper actually feels her shaking her head in negative.

"Oh, but _I can._ "

Alex's voice is so reassuring but her words leave Piper (already struggling to keep her hold on logic) a bit puzzled.

There is no time for confusion to properly reach her however, and whatever question she has ready, seeking for an explanation, dies on her tongue, replaced by a guttural primal moan that gets torn from her throat when Alex's fingers slide all the way in, reaching deep inside of her. And she is _so_ deeply _grateful_ for not having to worry about keeping her balance right when such feeling has her sway making her head spin, and in an attempt to still it, she tilts it back, resting it against Alex's shoulder.

The tip of her lover's nose brushes against the length of her neck before being replaced by a pair of impossibly soft lips continuing the ascent along the column of her throat, tracing the side of her jaw before brush a kiss against her temple, and the tenderness of such simple gesture, paired with the further closeness that such position brings them, the contrastingly gentle roughness of Alex's slightly deeper thrusts, and now the exquisite feeling of those deft fingers reaching deep within her, are almost enough to make her come.

But she _resists._

Even when her inner muscles _spasm_ around the fingers wriggling inside her.

Because she has learned how to.

Because she has been _taught_ how to.

But mostly, because Alex isn't _there,_ yet.

It's not easy, especially not when every single cell of her body is _screaming_ for her to just let go. Her core aches with that irrepressible need to ripple around the fingers pressing deep inside her and stroking that sweet, swollen spot against her front wall oh so expertly.

But she _waits._

She waits until she feels that little _stutter_ in Alex's hips.

That faltering in her otherwise perfectly rhythmical thrusts.

The way her arm tightens further around her middle, pulling her so impossibly close to barely allow movement at all.

She waits until Alex's breathing - the harsh puffs of air brushing hot and humid against her shoulder - grows more and more labored, slipping past her lips in a series of growled moans that increase in volume until they turn into that glorious, broken, choked sound that harbinger her lover's last restraint unraveling, ready to _snap_.

There is one last jerky thrust of her hips, and then, that fierce instinct to just _take_ , wins out.

And there is nothing else in the world that is just as riveting for Piper as feeling her lover's entire body stiffening up behind her, in feeling every strong muscle locked for that prolonged, breathless instant before pleasure assaults her senses.

All the foreplay, the teasing, the taunting, and testing have lead to this glorious moment.

To the magnificent feeling of Alex letting go.

Unleashed like her very nature urges her to.

Coming by grinding against her ass in a series of shallow thrusts, taking her own pleasure with the kind of rawness that her need demands.

Her muscles twitch, the movement of her hips grows sloppy and uneven, but to Piper _, nothing_ has actually ever felt so _perfect_. Even her fingers, the ones resting deep inside of her twitch as well - but even when caught in that crushing, choking grasp of a devastating pleasure threatening to drag her into unconsciousness, Alex still manages to hook them against that spot on her front wall and massage it.

It's really all it takes.

A gesture that paired with the light pressure of her palm rubbing against her clit, all while experiencing this primal, almost selfish version of her lover taking what she needs, turns out being so much more than enough.

This is her ultimate reward. What she has been waiting so patiently for.

What she has been begging for.

Finally, the pressure that Piper has kept locked inside of her bursts free.

She comes in a long, hard, glorious spurt of wet warmth that splashes against Alex's hand and soaks the sheets, making her lover hum and growl with approval against that tender, extremely sensitive spot of the side of her neck where she has found refuge, breathing in the essence of her.

Her entire body is left shaking.

Her orgasm takes everything from her. It's consuming in the most gratifying way that makes the past hour of teasing, and the subtle, enjoyable ache of exertion in her shoulders all _so_ worth it.

The swirl of sensations that collide so perfectly from two separate kinds of penetration is so overwhelming that it makes her dizzy.

But with Alex - and the suspension handcuffs strapped around her wrists and secured to the chain dangling from the hook on the ceiling holding her up (and rattling with each one of her spasms and uneven movements) she hardly needs to worry about swaying or collapsing.

And even though she feels like she might be actually slipping into unconsciousness because of the viciousness of such pleasure that manages to steal the air from her lungs for several long seconds, she resists such pull. Forcing her chest to expand, drawing in a shaky breath that grants her a firmer grip on her slippery awareness. Enough to allow her to enjoy the rest of this magnificent ride, taking - if possible - an even greater amount of pleasure in feeling Alex take her own without the restraints that she had forced on herself.

Just like the proud wild creature that lives within her demands from her.

Experiencing her like this is the most invigorating thing that adds a thrill of power to her orgasm, derived by the knowledge of having been the one to reduce her in such a primal state; to strip her off from those layers that she wears all the time so flawlessly, and expose her true, beating core, revealing her essence in all its magnificent nakedness.

It swells Piper with pride. Reveling in each stuttered snap of those hips against the back of hers, in each curl of those fingers buried deep inside of her, in the way Alex clings onto her and growls that choked moan against the side of her neck, eliciting a series of shivers that raise goosebumps all over her body when her sharp teeth rake without biting against that delicate spot near her throat, displaying a kind of possessiveness that emerges only during these wonderfully intimate moments, a gesture that only adds to that exquisite primal instinct that always wins out and takes over in the end.

Time is a dimension that ceases to exist whenever they find themselves in this grasp of shared bliss.

It gets squashed under a whole new force that erases every law that keeps the universe spinning, rendering this moment - _and them -_ the axis of everything that matters.

It lasts for a short eternity. And just like any time, even with her head swimming as it is in between the blankness of unconsciousness and the overwhelming colors exploding like fireworks and lingering like fluttering northern lights behind her closed eyelids, Piper archives every single one of those details until her wavering awareness allows her to.

When her orgasm starts tapering off, it is a surprisingly slow and gradual descent that leaves her particularly dazed. But she should know better by now than expect an abrupt and fast recovery after reaching such height. As always, Alex is the one to guide her out of that thick, impenetrable haze like a lighthouse.

Relying on all of her expertise in fact, Alex renders that descent even smoother for her; she starts by rolling her hips more gently, by slowing down to a gradual halt the movement of the fingers resting within her and just providing that delightful pressure against her front wall while her inner muscles keep rippling - although much more weakly - around them.

Coming back down to earth like this takes a sweet eternity, and even when she descends for the rest of the way, her ears keep ringing as they were when she reached her peak, and her body is tingling all over with the remnant of the pleasure coursing through her system, just like Alex's is making her roll her hips forward in a series of shallow, gentler thrusts, prolonging their shared bliss until the very last shudder of pleasure has been drawn out from both of them.

Her orgasm leaves her drained from any shred of energy she had. To the point where even just breathing feels like a struggle, even more so than usual considering the position - having her hands bound, arms lifted above her head in fact, for how enjoyable it has been surrendering all her power like this, showing her profound trust towards her lover, doesn't allow her ribcage to expand as much as the need of air is demanding from her though.

But, as always, she hardly needs to worry about that.

Ready to provide everything she needs without her having to utter a single word, Alex is right there.

Even after all this time, Piper still relies on her for this part.

That exquisite primal instinct that has possessed her, subsides as her own orgasm tappers off, leaving space for the deep, innate consideration that pushes forward once again with all its profoundly comforting safeness.

Piper has stopped a long time ago from wondering how Alex could manage to recover so much faster than her, and being granted back not only the ability to move, but also coordinate her movements, too, without swaying or losing her balance.

It makes her a bit envious, actually.

But, at the same time, she is immensely grateful that at least one of them gets to regain their lucidity so quickly to tend to the other.

Although, she is also _less_ grateful for such ability when the first thing that she ends up mourning is the loss of the delightful pressure of the fingers that slip from inside her, leaving her painfully empty.

Alex does it slowly, gently, with all of her consideration for her much-more-tender conditions, but her inner muscles still protest, even though they are far too weak to do anything other than flutter at that slow withdraw.

She whimpers but Alex soothes such loss by wrapping her arm around her, holding her in place to make sure that she doesn't collapse under her own weight when, with her other hand, she reaches up and goes to unbuckle the restraints secured around her wrists, bound together above her head.

Alex's knowledge and experience have made sure to provide her with that extra comfort that such position required to not be too tiring for her shoulders, nonetheless, in the moment she gets released, Piper is all the more grateful for her lover's strong frame holding her up. She doesn't think that the kind of tiredness seeping into her bones would have given her the chance to brace herself against something otherwise.

"It's okay," Alex tells her. Her voice so sweetly raspy, slightly breathy, laced with that exquisite note of exertion that makes Piper's body buzz all over again. "I got you." And there, upon hearing that assurance, and the softness in her tone, the breathlessness in those words, Piper melts even further. Because _she can_. Because Alex _is there_. Delivering comfort and safeness with those three little words and the arms holding her up so preciously yet firmly.

She could stay like this for an undefined time. Or at least until her head will stop from spinning, her ears from ringing, and she'll feel like she has regained enough control over her own body again to attempt any kind of movement.

Unfortunately though, unlike all the other times, this kind of... _pressure_ afterward feels slightly less pleasant and a bit... _invading_. Enough to make her groan and squirm with that principle of discomfort in feeling Alex still buried inside her.

"It's okay, babe." Her lover promptly assures her, knowingly. Her voice so soft and soothing. And there is something in its deep, rich, slightly husky quality that is just so deeply _comforting_. "Just lean forward a little for me?"

It takes some effort and quite some of that balance that Piper doesn't feel like she has fully regained yet. But with her hands once again free, she can now brace herself against the headboard, doing as Alex invites her to, while her lover leans back, holding onto her hips to prevent her from slipping out too fast.

The last thing Alex ever wants is to risk hurting her even if by accident. And as Piper has very soon found out while indulging in this specific, particularly delicate practice - slow and steady it's the best way in _and_ out.

It's significantly different. Usually, not only she enjoys keeping Alex inside of her long after she has come, but she actually revels in prolonging such an intimate connection. In this case though... She can't mask the relief that instantly soothes that subtle sting of discomfort and that allows her to breathe even more easily in the exact moment the shaft slides for the rest of the way out of her.

"There you go..." Alex murmurs when she sighs, stroking that spot at the base of the spine, dispelling any remnants of tension that was left before gently guiding her to lay down on her stomach, away from the damp patch staining the sheets and towards a much drier zone near the center of the bed.

The rest of Piper's body melts in the moment she settles onto the soft mattress, only now acknowledging in full the kind of exertion that she wasn't aware her body had been put through in such position.

Slowly, the rest of her senses return to her, rendering her slowly more aware of something other than the cocktail of sensations and feelings coursing through her veins.

And so, distantly, while she recovers, under her breathing and the still-harsh thrum of her own heart in her ears, and that general sense of vertigo clinging onto her, she can hear the familiar rustling and fumbling as Alex discards the toy, hearing the muted thud that it makes when she simply drops it on the floor on the other side of the bed.

Her head keeps spinning, and laying down in this position has a way to make her feel a bit disoriented. As if the needle of her inner compass has been demagnetized.

But all it takes to get it working again (and just when the lack of that closeness that she finds herself craving in these moments of recover is starting to feel like too much) the mattress dips behind her, followed by the unmistakable sensation of the warmth of Alex's body getting closer.

Only when she feels her lover's front press down against her back, and feels the light delicate brush of lips along her vertebrae, Piper's head finally slows down from spinning like a carousel before stopping altogether, brought to a gentle halt and grounded by that reassuring, deeply comforting feeling of Alex's weight settling on top of hers. She hums under the sensation of those lips brushing adoring kisses along her back, until they reach _that spot_ that always tickles, making her laugh and squirm. Which is more than enough to elicit one of those raspy chuckles from Alex. A sound that compels her to turn around.

Somehow, ignoring her protesting, exquisitely aching muscles and sore shoulders, she even finds the energy to do it, and when she rolls onto her back, she is not even surprised to be met with the huge smile stretching on her lover's gorgeous face and reaching her stunning green eyes, making them sparkle and crinkle so beautifully in a look of utter satisfaction and fulfillment that makes Piper's descent even sweeter, rendering this infinitely gratifying experience all the more rewarding.

"Have I ever told you how much I _love_ doing _business_ with you?" Alex asks her, brushing aside a sweat-slick strand of blonde hair from her face with such tenderness and looking at her with _such_ adoration that makes Piper's heart _throbs_ within the confines of her chest. Echoing with the matching fierceness of that gloriously blazing sentiment.

Still, what slips from her lips after having such question addressed at her, is a scoff. A little, breathy laugh. Because it's definitely mutual, and even though she feels far too dizzy and high with the little sparks of aftershock coursing and sizzling through her system like the most intoxicating drug to even _think_ about answering to such a rhetorical question, and even though she doesn't trust her voice (or her eloquence) right now, she still forces herself to speak, somehow coherently, without slurring, and accuse her of the fact that "You just love fucking me in the ass."

Alex doesn't even try to deny the accusation. In fact, she actually hums in approval and grins. That shameless, predatory, criminally gorgeous fangy grin of hers that never fails in making Piper feel a tumult of the most wondrous feelings all at once.

" _I do_." Alex purrs, making her heart flutter so wildly and her core clench so tightly on itself in one last spasm of aftershock upon hearing that deep, seductive tone, that for a moment she forgets how to breathe.

But she doesn't even need air, not when Alex is looking at her like _this._

Although, when her lover leans in to plant the softest kiss on her lips... her chest feels far too tight to contain all the emotions that erupt and cramp up in her ribcage at the display of such tenderness and deep affection.

Instinctively, she lifts her arms and wraps them around Alex's strong broad shoulders, pulling her closer.

She never got to feel like this with anyone else before.

No one has ever made her feel _a fraction_ of something remotely similar to _this._

And no other place has ever made her feel as safe and reassured and _loved_ as the one that she has claimed as hers into Alex's arms.

If it wasn't for her, for the second chance that she has been given - for which she still is immensely grateful- she would have _never_ known that devotion tastes of ginger and cinnamon, with that lingering, subtle sweetness of the clover honey that Alex uses to sweeten her spiced tea in the morning.

"Although, I have to say it..." Her lover adds when she pulls back from the kiss, frowning, scooting a bit closer. Unconsciously seeking for more of that magnificent skin to skin contact that brings her to reach out and skim her fingers over the length of her leg, inching closer her waist, tracing the swell of her hip with that same reverence that makes Piper feel as adored as a goddess. "I thought you would hold back and make this deal _a lot harder_ for me."

Once again, Piper can't contain the soft chuckle that rumbles within her chest.

Only this time, her laugh is more out of... a sudden pang of _nervousness_ mingle with that bit of amusement upon hearing and seeing the surprise in her lover's tone and twitching on her features with that curious - _suspicious_ \- little smile that indicates that she _knows_ that there must be _something_ under the fact that she has yielded so easily. _Too easily_ in fact.

Because oh, she would have indeed liked it to make it harder for Alex now that she has learned how to keep a much firmer grasp on her impulses and needs. But she has decided to settle for the deal and percentage that her lover has asked for.

For one _specific_ reason...

One that makes her stomach clench and her heart pick up a new rhythm that has it _slam_ against the back of her sternum with enough force to almost knock the air out of her lungs.

"That's because I have another possible deal I have been meaning to... _discuss_ , with you." She reveals, grinning despite the excitement and nervousness twisting in her stomach. A very _big_ deal that I've been pondering over for a while now she inwardly adds, and the return of that note of nervousness in her tone - which makes her voice shake a little - earns her this amused little head-tilt of confusion from Alex, who instantly reaches out for her as soon as she catches her intention to slip out of bed.

"Hey... where are you going so soon?"

Getting up from the bed and leave (even if temporarily) this cocoon of afterglow, the safeness and warmth of Alex's loving embrace, is the last thing she wants, _but_...

As she watches her lover there, naked, reaching for her, with that hint of alarm creasing ever so slightly her gorgeous features upon seeing her getting up with the intention to leave... She realizes that she has been delaying this for long enough.

 _Far too long,_ actually.

Out of an emotion that she never got to experience so fiercely. _A fear_ that she knows she has no reason to feel at all. Not when the way Alex has been looking at her over the past two years has only grown with an exponential affection tinged with that ever-present shimmer of desire that may or may have not given them much of a choice in more than one occasion if not act on it in a few improvised (sometimes even semi-public) settings.

It still feels like a daring move. But if there is one thing in particular that this morning, and all that happened between them has managed to do (besides make her forget her own name and bring her body a pleasure that has barely left her conscious and breathing) is banish that fear and reinforce her resolution.

Just like in any business they have ever gotten into, it all comes down to risk versus rewards.

And so, reluctantly, yet eagerly and nervously all at once, she slips out of bed, flashing Alex a smile before leaning in to plant a soft kiss on her lips, whispering a puzzling, yet hopefully reassuring "It's going to take just a minute" as she pulls back, getting once again struck by the raw beauty of Alex's features.

Even though her words don't offer much if not actually eliciting that lovely little crinkle that settles between her lover's perfectly sculpted eyebrows, the reassurance in her voice is what succeeds in making Alex lean back against the pillows and let her go, even though looking still (rightfully) confused, and perhaps even a bit concerned, as Piper notices when Alex uses the hand she has reached out with to pull her back into the bed, to fiddle with the corner of the sheets. Twisting the piece of fabric between nervous fingers.

It's a gesture that in its simplicity makes her heart throb even harder. A display of contained, sudden tension and light uneasiness that gives her that extra push to not delay this for a minute longer.

And so, she stands up on her slightly wobbly legs, ignoring the ache in her exquisitely sore muscles and stiff joints - all results of their healthy _morning activities_ \- and reaches for her work bag hung on Alex's desk chair. Sorting through folders of documents with that sense of trepidation and anticipation swelling in her stomach, which are the main reason for her suddenly shaky hands and wildly fluttering heart...

 **. . .**

Piper has called it _"a deal"._

But the... _thing_ \- the rectangular, box-shaped _object_ wrapped in a beautifully refined black paper with deep red roses printed on and tied together with a golden bow - actually looks a lot like-

" _...a gift?_ "

Instantly, Alex's mind goes to some possibly-missed important date, quickly scanning through a mental calendar and coming up... frustratingly _empty._

And the way Piper looks at her when she hands her over the... _alleged_ _present_ , with this nervous smile twitching on her lips and slightly yet noticeably shaky hands, only confuses her more. Making her also kind of suspicious. About something that is _there_. Something that she _should know_ , or at the very least be able to read in her lover - but that remains just slightly out of reach for her to grasp.

The elegance of the wrapping paper makes the gift seem all the more important, and Alex is truly starting to think that she might have missed an incredibly _relevant_ date.

She glances out the window, where the sun is now high and blazing in a limpid blue sky, and where the gentleness of the light breeze blowing against that pleasant heat would convince almost anyone that summer is still lingering under the shadow of the autumn that is actually already slowly draining the leaves of the trees from their natural fresh green and turning them into all shades of orange and brown.

A beautiful morning indeed, but it tells her that _no_ , it's definitely _not_ their anniversary.

 _Not yet..._

Left with no other way out, she has only one option left.

It's risky. She knows as much. But even though she inwardly winces just at the thought of it, at this point, before her puzzlement and confusion can have a chance to turn into actual frustration, she just needs _to know_. And so, she braces herself for the consequences when she asks her lover if

"Have I missed something important _or_...?"

Unexpectedly, Piper chuckles. The smile that was twitching nervously on her lips spreads with amusement as she shakes her head, looking clearly entertained by the uncertainty tugging at her features and the tentativeness layering her voice.

"No," Her lover answers. "No, you didn't." She assures, but then, that smile twitches once again with that hint of nervousness that makes this all the more confusing. "This is..."

Alex leans forward ever so slightly, trying to meet her lover's gaze, which has dropped -thoughtfully - on the gift resting in her hands.

"Just... open it." It's all Piper tells her and invites her to do eventually, handing her over the present before sitting back on her heels and avoiding her gaze when Alex simply appraises her.

Puzzled as she currently is, trying to catch the sign of something off it's the only thing she can do, but... when - for the second time in barely a couple of minutes - she comes up empty after going through possibilities, unable to detect the origin of such an odd... behavior, and - honestly - far too curious to discover the possible content of the gift to protest, Alex decides to take up on that offer instead of inquiring further. The answers she seeks, after all, seem to be right in her hands apparently. From where Piper appears to be unable from tearing her gaze away.

And so, perplexed, but not exactly worried given that there is nothing that indicates it could be something serious (and actually a bit amused by such display of sudden nervousness) she decides to take her lover's invitation. Her gaze drops on the gift resting between her hands, but not without lingering on Piper's body first, appraising her in all of her beauty, naked (as she herself still is) at the exception of the black leather collar tied around her neck and that she wears so beautifully, with such elegance, and _oh so proudly_.

The wrapping paper that Piper has chosen is also so beautiful and elegant that simply tearing it off would be an insult to the effort that has clearly been put behind such a great and methodical work. But Alex can tell, as she carefully takes off piece by piece the tape holding it all together, that her lover is getting _restless_ and impatient, and, _for once_ , that's a reaction that she has _not_ been meaning to purposefully elicit in her lover, but... she still takes a fair amount of amusement in the knowledge and in witnessing it playing out in the subtle, yet noticeable way she sees Piper squirm on the spot while she takes her time to unwrap the... unexpected present.

The shape, as well as the hardness of surfaces, are enough of a giveaway, and so Alex isn't so surprised when, much to Piper's relief, she carefully peels off and sets aside the rest of the wrapping paper, revealing...

 _A book._

But... not just _any_ book.

Her lips stretch into a slow smile as she takes in the cover.

It's quite self-explanatory, with the beautiful black and white detail of a rope knotted to create a wonderfully intricate design that presses just as attractively onto soft skin.

But when she reads the title _"The Ultimate Bond: a guide to the art of Shibari and safe bondage"_ she can't help the laugh that bubbles up in her chest and spills from her lips.

That's it until she reads the name of the author, and then... _well..._

If her lover has been meaning to not only catch her by surprise but actually _impress her_ , she has most definitely succeeded.

" _How_ did you..."

Her attention shifts back to Piper. Who is now positively _grinning._ No longer looking nervous but simply, absolutely _delighted_. Her blue eyes glittering with satisfaction in front of her wide-eyed look of utter surprise.

"This isn't supposed to come out before next year." Alex almost actually blurts out, but she is far too baffled to be embarrassed about the way she almost stutters and stumbles over her own words. "How did you manage to get your hands on _this_?"

And just like that, upon seeing and hearing her so impressed, Piper's already impossibly wide grin actually widens even more, putting her gorgeous dimples in full display.

She must be enjoying this _immensely._

"I know someone..." It's the evasive, yet cocky answer that she offers eventually with a nonchalant shrug, as if this not some kind of a big deal. After all, she is _the big boss_ of a very large and further expanding, very _successful_ company, and besides loving her job as much as Alex loves hers, she deeply enjoys all the perks that come with it.

Even more when she gets the chance to brag with her about something. And given that it usually happens at an unconscious level layered by a bubbling excitement, it makes it all the more _endearing_.

Right now though... That smug, deeply satisfied grin actually tells Alex that her lover has actually been aiming to impress her. And that pretended nonchalance it's just _bullshit._

Still, she regains her usual composure and simply arches an inquiring eyebrow. A silent question and request to elaborate that Piper instantly gets and doesn't delay to deliver.

"You know that guy I told you about and that Polly has been seeing in between travels to LA? The one working in that editing company?"

Alex's eyes widen like saucers.

She... _No way._

She _must_ have heard wrong. Or at least _assumed_ wrong.

"Are you saying..." She just decides to throw it there. "That this guy's company is editing this book and _Molly_ smuggled a copy from under his nose?" She can hardly picture such scenario. But... if her lover's seemingly-uptight partner actually _did_ such thing... then she has judged her wrong for all this time.

"She is bolder than I thought she wasn't." She mumbles glancing down at the book before Piper's chuckle tears her attention back up to her.

"No," Her lover denies, looking actually a bit apologetic for disappointing her by doing so - but also looking a bit amused for having deliberately misspelled her best friend's name. "When she told me that they were editing it, I simply asked her if she could ask him and... Well, apparently he is smitten enough that he has given her one of the copies that they have."

It may not have included the kind of boldness sprinkled with danger than she initially thought, but the explanation still has Alex smirk.

"Now I get why she is your co-CEO." She comments. "It seems like you are _not_ the only one gifted with such powers of persuasion." She teases, and Piper simply rolls her eyes, affectionately, at that... _compliment_ disguised as a teasing remark.

"So..." Alex continues, glancing back down at the... new, _alternative_ reading material that her lover has just gifted her. Her smirk widens. "Is this your way of telling me that you want to get _kinkier_ and take things next level?"

And it's only _then_ that she sees it again.

When presented in front of such question, Piper's deeply satisfied expression wavers ever so slightly, showing that same hint of nervousness lying underneath and that Alex had almost forgotten all about.

It's not so marked to concern her exactly, but it has her wondering...

Because the prospect of handing her over the book can't possibly have been the reason for those signs of nervousness that she has seen making her lover so oddly... _squirmy_ barely a few minutes ago.

And she gets proved to be right about such assumption when Piper, suddenly hesitant, once again showing reluctance in meeting her gaze for more than a few moments, answers her with a puzzling, secretive "In a way..."

Alex frowns. Scrutinizing her. Searching for what her lover might be alluding at, but not getting very far.

"You should take a look inside." Is what Piper suggests her, all awkward and fidgety nerves that make the frown already creasing the space between her eyebrows slightly deeper even though her lips inevitably twitch into an equally intrigued smile.

"Alright..." She drawls, simply deciding to take that invitation...

The first thing that she notices as she turns the book around, is that the pages towards the very beginning aren't aligned with the rest.

There is this little space left in between.

Barely a slit.

As if there might be something _stuck_ in between the pages.

She doesn't think much of it when she notices such detail... except for one possibility that flares in her mind.

"You have already picked a position, _haven't you?_ " She accuses, teasingly, although, by now, it is more out of curiosity to check what it could be what leads her to open the book and find out, more than the echo of Piper's words encouraging her to.

"I think you could say that..." Her lover replies, sticking to her secrecy and that awkward, endearing nervousness that makes the smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth twitch that tiny bit higher, but in the moment she opens the book to the sign left between those pages, she gets suddenly distracted as something rolls out.

All that she sees is a tiny shimmer in the reflection of the sun, and for once, her usually incredibly fast reflexes aren't enough for her to catch... whatever that thing is.

She just knows that it bounces on the bed before falling down and onto the floor with a muted clinking-like noise. And before she can even look around for whatever that glinty thing is, Piper has already climbed down the bed and readily reached for it.

And it's only then, upon seeing those light, surprisingly fast reflexes and attentiveness that Alex realizes that her lover must actually have planned things to go _exactly_ this way. That Piper has been waiting (tense with readiness) for this exact moment.

In the following instants, time ceases to exist.

Everything seems to slow down and fast forward all at once. And somewhere in between realization strikes Alex.

Because it _all_ makes sense now.

From that uncharacteristically, endearing shade of tentativeness and hesitation and squirmy nervousness... to the shimmering layer of _tears_ that she instantly sees welling up in the rippling surface of Piper's limpid blue eyes.

The smirk that was tugging at the corner of her mouth just a second ago gets wiped off her face and replaced by an utterly stunned expression in the instant she sees Piper there.

Kneeling before her.

Holding up _a ring._

And _grinning_. That beautiful, dimpled grin that reaches her glistening eyes and that only widens in front of the awestruck look, of the utter surprise that she has managed to elicit in her for a second time in barely a couple of minutes.

The nervousness that had a grasp on her seems to dissolve into nothingness. Now she just looks particularly pleased with herself in front of her reaction, which gives quite a boost to her confidence, rendering her bold enough to answer to what Alex has completely forgotten being her previous, playful question.

"...and I know how much you like it when I get down on my knees." And then, the dork even _smirks._

 **. . .**

Piper doesn't think that her heart has ever been pounding so vigorously in her chest, slamming, almost painfully against the back of her sternum, as it is doing in this very moment.

The only other time she has felt like she was about to swoon, overwhelmed by such a turmoil of feelings and emotions at the base of such a frantic rhythm, it has been during her first time with Alex.

And... such fact only reinforces this entire... deal. Giving it even more meaning.

It wasn't the thought of doing this, of laying her feelings out in all their nakedness, and displaying all her vulnerability as if Alex isn't actually able to see them right through her during any of their intimate moments.

 _No._

What has rendered her so nervous was how much and how impatient she has been at the thought of _doing_ _this_. Delaying not because of fear or rejection, but because it has taken her a while to get a hold on such bubbling excitement and all the emotions that have sprouted from it.

And now... now that she is finally doing this, the only regret she has is that she didn't get a chance to record Alex's reaction. Although... the one currently showing on her lover's face is not an expression she is going to forget.

 _Ever._

"I have been meaning to do this for some time," She admits, surprising herself with how calm and controlled her voice sounds when she speaks, despite the fact that she was certain that she would have stumbled (much to Alex's amusement, undoubtedly) all over her words. And this... it actually proves even more firmly how right this is. How things are supposed to be. She draws strength from such knowledge, from that profound belief making her push her shoulders back with a purpose that fills her with even more confidence.

"And I have not been delaying it because of some doubt or anything like it, but..." She pauses, smiling at the woman before her, still looking so adorably dumbstruck. An expression she never thought she would have elicited, but one that she is immensely _proud_ she has been able to. "Among the many, many things that you taught me, there has been patience, and getting to know and listen to myself and do things when I'm ready to, and not just because I'm eager to get to them."

Slowly, she sees as the shock covering Alex's face drops with each one of her admissions, until all there is left, is just the woman she loves more than she'll ever be able to express - not even with all her eloquence to assist her - looking at her with those wide, still a bit incredulous green eyes that contrast so spectacularly, yet so reassuringly, with that hint of a smile that starts tugging at her lips.

"So..." After a moment spent considering her words, Alex speaks for the first time. The pink tip of her tongue darts from between those rosy lips of hers, subtly wetting them without licking away the smile adorning them. "This is the _deal_ you have been meaning to... _propose_ to me."

Piper can pretend (as she has been doing for the past two years) to find it annoying all she wants. But she just _loves_ this insufferably teasing side of Alex. And how couldn't she? When even such trait is part of her very (playful and affectionate) nature.

"I have to warn you though," Piper continues. "This deal I'm offering you..." She pauses, only to swallow the knot of emotions that swells in her chest and tightens in her throat at the thought. "...I want you to know that I won't accept _anything less_ than a lifetime term." She warns, because she wants to be clear about this, and not just about what the generic marriage-vows include.

She has seen her best friend's crumble, _slowly,_ irreparably, like a house of cards, vows or not.

But _this..._

She stresses those words for Alex as much as she does for herself, with all the seriousness that such deal demands, not because _she_ needs a reminder, though. But because she wants to assure Alex and soothe that deeply rooted fear about losing another person she loves and that, despite her never showing that side to not give away her vulnerability, it's a fear that still clings onto her. As if she expects her to walk out... of their apartment one morning, their relationship- _everything they have_ and just leave, because of business or whatelse- and never come back.

Well...

Such nonsense ends _today._

She is not going _anywhere._

She is here to _stay_.

And if she has to, she'll spend _the rest of her life_ to prove it to Alex. To banish that unmentioned concern that she never expressed but that _it's there_ , and into the void where it belongs.

"I want _forever_ with you, Al."

Those words... The simplicity and sincerity in them, the easiness with which they slip past her lips, have an even more powerful effect said out loud than she expected.

Alex almost startles, inhaling a sharp, muted gasp in the moment such truth gets voiced. And then she swallows, taking in another deep, slightly shaky breath in order to recollect herself. Tilting her head down and nodding. Momentarily diverting her gaze in order to get a hold of the emotions that Piper has already caught shimmering into those emerald lakes.

"I see..." She hears Alex whisper then, right before lifting her head once again, and this time, she doesn't look away, finding her gaze and keeping it locked with hers. Open and confident yet vulnerable all at once.

"You seem... _convinced_ about this." Her lover comments after a moment spent searching the depths of her eyes, and for the first time, the last thing that Piper feels under such scrutiny, is that squirminess that often results whenever she gets appraises so thoroughly, mostly whenever her lover is searching for a weak spot to exploit and get her all flustered during one of their most playful moments.

But this is no game.

And this time Piper leaves herself as naked as the rest of her currently is, jutting her chin out and simply stating the one and only truth in response to Alex's comment.

"Like I've never been in my life."

Once again, she is not surprised by the relief that saying such thing out loud brings her. Although, despite the new surge of confidence that comes with such admission, she gets a bit... _concerned_ when all she is met with for a long moment is just silence and this... unreadable look on her lover's face.

But _then_...

"Is there any last minute term you would like to add to such deal?"

She was waiting for an answer, but actually receiving such question instead is... even more promising.

Alex is clearly taking in consideration her offer after all.

Piper's lips stretch into a slow smile that grows into a full grin as she shakes her head.

Although... Now that she thinks about it...

"Just _one,_ actually." She corrects at the last moment. "It's about our honeymoon." She specifies managing not only to make her own heart flutter at the thought but also succeeding in capturing Alex's undivided attention.

"I want to spend it doing _everything_ that that book illustrates." She says, tilting her chin towards the book now resting discarded on the sheets. " _Cover to cover_." She also stresses, barely managing to contain the smile on her lips from spreading further when she sees the smirk twitching at the corner of Alex's mouth after she adds, "And I want to do it in _one room_."

She doesn't need to specify.

That knowing look and smile on her lover's face tell her that Alex, as perceptive as she is, has _instantly_ understood what she has been referring to.

Because there is only _one room_ that has brought them together like this. Where their passion broke past boundaries and the terms of a contract and gave them no way out until a situation forced Alex to.

She wants to relive the magic that she felt buzzing between those walls that night, although... As Alex rightfully points out...

"There is the possibility that we'll get interrupted once again. Maybe even by my partner if she knows we plan such a thing."

She is right, and Piper can't help but chuckle at the prospect of getting interrupted in the middle of a _private session_ with her spouse because Nicky wanted to " _check up"_ on them, as it might have happened more than once already.

"Do you have a counter offer for me then?" Piper asks, adopting that same composure she usually does whenever discussing a very important deal she can in _no way_ let slip through her fingers.

"I do." Alex affirms, with that tone and that mischievous little smile that promises what is most likely going to be an incredibly compelling argument. As it exactly turns out to be the case.

"We go somewhere warm," She starts, getting closer to the edge of the bed and to her. "With a private beach, no phones, no work, no duties. Just you, me, a beach house somewhere in the Carribean, and one big suitcase filled with... some _professional equipment_ that is surely going to put the airport security on high alert."

Along with the suggestive smirk that tugs at Alex's lips, listening to such plan is all it takes to make Piper burst out laughing. It tumbles past her lips like a choked and wet breathed chuckle, but she already knew that this whole deal was going to make it difficult for her to keep those tears at bay.

"I definitively like these added conditions." She admits.

And she also _gets_ why Alex hasn't agreed to her first terms. Not just because her business partner can get a bit _excitable_ and not-so-subtly-curious in certain circumstances involving... _them_.

Alex is right in her implication. They don't actually need _that room_ to relive the magic that sparks between them everytime they are together, whether it is Alex's bedroom- which may have recently become their bedroom (as in _their_ apartment) - or... lets say the restroom of a restaurant where they are having a rather romantic dinner, and where a few heated looks combined with all the teasing happening under the table has left them with no other choice but seek some resemblance of privacy where they could indulge while waiting for those magnificent thirty-five minutes that one order for the chocolate souffle required.

All they need, all it takes for that spark to light up to its full, blazing glory, is just _them._ Doesn't matter _where_.

Space has never limited them.

Nor has time. As the exponential increase of many, many delays for business meetings have proven to her because of all of Alex's surprise "office visits".

One particular look, a few whispered words, and just like that, that ever-burning passion bursts free, devouring _everything_ in its wake with its greediness and hunger further fed by the fierceness of their reciprocal sentiments.

And right now, even though there is that subtle smile dancing on her lover's lips, it's the reflection of those exact sentiments rippling so proudly on the surface of her stunning emerald lakes shadowed by that small, yet noticeable shade of fear what makes Piper ask- tentatively, (because under all of that confidence and proud approach of a wild, feline-like creature, Alex is vulnerable, with skin that even though is not so soft, once it gets pierced by something sharp, the damage goes deep and leaves her wounded and bleeding for long. Something that Piper knows too well, like the shame and guilt that has derived from leaving such damage once, without _any_ reason. And it has been more than enough to swear to herself to _never_ make the mistake to do such thing _ever_ again.)

"So..." She asks, with caution, sucking in a silent deep breath that does absolutely _nothing_ to slow down her wildly pounding heart. "Do we have a deal then?"

Alex may guard her heart until the very last moment. But the look that Piper is when she gazes into those breathtaking green eyes as they search hers, sprinkled with those precious specks of gold glimmering in the sunlight - is so open to all allow her to see every single emotion that her lover is containing.

And a part of her is convinced that she might actually be enjoying keeping her there. _Waiting._

It wouldn't surprise her at all if that was the case actually. After all, she knows how much pleasure Alex has always taken in making her _wait_.

The _insufferable_ tease.

But that's fine...

Because she has waited her entire life without knowing that she would have found her. That she would have found someone who loves her not _despite_ the many flaws that she has. But who loves her and accepts her _as she is_ , with every imperfection that makes her _whole._

Those green eyes glint as Alex looks at her up and down. The smile dancing on her lips twitching that tiny bit higher when she appraises her current position. A look that Piper interprets in no other way than as a silent, complimentary _"you are right, I_ do _like it when you get down on your knees."_

But, eventually, when Alex's gaze returns back up, locking with hers as intensely as before, and once she is assured that this really is the _ultimate_ deal for her, that she means it and has _every intention_ to go through with it, that she has actually been considering it for _a long_ (far too long) _time_ , Piper - who has been waiting with bated breath and her heart ready to burst from her chest at any moment - finally gets her answer.

A simple, slightly raspy, yet firmly convinced " _Yes._ "

It gets instantly followed by the most exquisite, delightfully husky laugh when the elation that blooms and burst inside Piper's chest makes her jump back onto the bed and right into Alex's waiting lap. Straddling her. Grinning enthusiastically from ear to ear. As overjoyed as none of her previous extremely successful business deals has ever made her feel.

She traces Alex's gorgeous face with her fingertips, taking in all of her beauty, feeling her heart stumble all over itself and its frantic, excited rhythm in front of the deep adoration shimmering in those moist aquamarine eyes. She cradles her jaw in her palms while Alex's hands find their favorite place on her thighs, ascending to trace her waist and bring her closer, tilting her head up to meet her when she leans down.

As any other deal between them has always required, she knows that even this one is going to need both of their signatures.

For now though, a long, deep, sweetly passionate kiss is definitely the most appropriate and indelible way to seal this new, permanent deal.

The promise of a lifetime, together.

* * *

 **This is it guys :)** _ **For now**_ **at least. Some passionate morning anal sex with a side of business-talk, followed by a proposal :D This chapter is among a few other ones in this story that I have been _itching_ to get to since the beginning actually :D And now here it is... Quite the adventure, uh? But with these two, it always is :) I'll admit that I'm _far behind_ (embarrassingly so) with the episodes of the show. Let's say I may still have to _properly_ finish season five before starting with the sixth, but you know how much I love to take my time with these two :D So please, on that note, **_don't _**send me requests about the sixth season or spoilers about it since I** _still _**have to watch it. I'll tell you when it is safe to even mention it, lol :D For now, just... be patient with me please :P Anyway, here is the conclusion of this story guys.** **And, as always, thank you for reading everyone :)**


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